Four global companies have achieved the highest ranking in CCLA’s 2026 Corporate Mental Health Benchmark, but the findings suggest workplace mental health is still not sufficiently embedded in business strategy across many of the world’s largest employers.
Now in its fifth year, the CCLA Corporate Mental Health Benchmark – Global 100+ assesses how major listed companies govern, manage, support and report on workplace mental health. The 2026 edition examines 121 companies representing a combined workforce of more than 19 million employees, offering a five-year view of progress and the challenges that remain.
Which companies are leading on workplace mental health?
HSBC Holdings, Merck & Co (MSD), Novartis and Novo Nordisk have achieved Tier 1 status, the benchmark’s highest performance category, recognising companies demonstrating leading practice in workplace mental health management and disclosure.
CCLA thanked Chronos Sustainability, its expert advisory panel, the 61 companies that engaged with the assessment process and the 55 global investors supporting its workplace mental health engagement efforts.
The benchmark is designed to encourage transparency and accountability, helping investors and other stakeholders understand how seriously businesses are addressing mental health as part of their wider responsibilities and long-term performance.
Workplace mental health is improving – but slowly
The latest findings show some encouraging movement. Of the 121 companies assessed, 23 improved their performance tier compared with 2025, including five that moved up two tiers. A further 54 companies increased their overall scores.
However, 48 companies remain in Tier 5, the lowest performance category. CCLA estimates that nearly 5.7 million people work for businesses in this tier, which have yet to demonstrate significant steps towards protecting their employees’ mental health through publicly disclosed practices.
Across all companies, the average benchmark score rose from 25% in 2022 to 30% in 2026. While this represents progress over five years, CCLA says the overall picture remains weak.
Employers are investing in support – but measuring impact remains a challenge
The report highlights a gap between providing mental health support and demonstrating whether it is making a difference.
Almost all assessed companies (98%) report offering at least one mental wellbeing support mechanism, such as an employee assistance programme, counselling or digital mental health services. However, only 31% disclose uptake of their support and awareness initiatives, while just 10% report key performance indicators used to measure the impact of their workplace wellbeing strategy.
Similarly, although 96% collect employee engagement data, fewer than one in four (23%) use these insights to inform their mental health strategy.
Leadership and line management are also areas for improvement. Only 15% of companies report a public commitment to workplace mental health from their CEO, while just 36% disclose that they provide mental health training for line managers.
These findings suggest that having services and policies in place is not enough. Employers also need visible leadership, capable managers and meaningful measures of progress.
The business case for mental health is clear
The report underlines why workplace mental health should be treated as a business priority rather than solely an HR or wellbeing concern.
The World Health Organization estimates that depression and anxiety result in around 12 billion lost working days globally each year, costing the global economy almost US$1 trillion through reduced productivity.
Meanwhile, research cited in the benchmark from AXA found that 56% of workers globally experienced moderate to severe work-related stress in 2026, while 72% reported negative impacts on their work, including reduced concentration, lower motivation and disrupted sleep.
The potential returns from getting workplace wellbeing right are also significant. Deloitte estimates that employers achieve an average return of £4.70 for every £1 invested in employee wellbeing, through higher productivity and lower absenteeism and presenteeism.
As CCLA’s five-year analysis makes clear, supporting mental health is increasingly relevant to organisational resilience, talent retention and long-term business performance.
What should employers prioritise?
CCLA recommends that companies strengthen their approach through several practical steps:
- Make mental health a leadership priority: publish a clear commitment from the CEO and embed mental health within business strategy.
- Establish robust policies and accountability: set out responsibilities, implementation plans and governance arrangements.
- Measure and report progress: establish meaningful objectives and performance indicators, and disclose results transparently.
- Create healthier working conditions: promote fair pay, secure and supportive work, flexibility, open dialogue and appropriate job adjustments.
- Involve employees: ensure that mental health initiatives reflect the needs and experiences of the workforce.
- Equip line managers: provide training, guidance and practical tools to help managers recognise concerns, respond appropriately and address workplace stressors.
For employers, the message is clear: workplace mental health requires more than awareness campaigns and access to support services. It depends on the conditions people work in, the behaviour of leaders and managers, and an organisation’s willingness to understand and address the causes of poor mental health.
As investors increasingly scrutinise how companies manage their people, the benchmark provides a timely reminder that mental health, good governance and sustainable business performance are closely connected.
Having said this, it’s important to note that the benchmark assesses companies’ public disclosures, so a low score does not necessarily mean a company is doing nothing internally. CCLA explicitly acknowledges this limitation in the report.
Read the CCLA Corporate Mental Health Benchmark – Global 100+ 2026.
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