Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 — s.2

The duty to protect mental health at work is not new.
The enforcement is.

HSE has confirmed it will treat psychosocial risk — workplace stress, burnout, anxiety — with the same seriousness as a broken fire exit. Most West Midlands employers don't know that yet. Dutyfirst trains your managers to spot it early, before it becomes a compliance problem.

Book a 15-minute compliance call See the evidence ↓

Founding cohort, opening shortly. Dutyfirst is currently completing Ofqual-regulated SafeCert Level 3 Mental Health First Aid Trainer accreditation. The first three on-site bookings are being taken now at founding-client rates.

§1

The register

This isn't a wellbeing trend. It's a measurable, growing risk line on your books.

964,000

UK workers reporting work-related stress, depression or anxietyUp 24% year-on-year — Labour Force Survey 2024/25

17.1m

Working days lost to stress, depression or anxietyHSE, 2024/25 — the single largest cause of work-related ill health

52%

Of all work-related illness is now mental ill healthHSE statistics, 2024/25

£1.3–2.5k

Lost per employee, per year, to stress-related absenceHigher-risk sectors sit at the upper end of this range

£4.70

Returned for every £1 spent on workplace mental health trainingWidely cited return-on-investment benchmark

Figures drawn from HSE, ONS Labour Force Survey and CIPD published research. Sources available on request.

§2

The legal position

Section 2 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 has always covered mental health, not just physical safety. The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 require a "suitable and sufficient" risk assessment of that hazard. What's changed is enforcement appetite — HSE issued a Notice of Contravention to an NHS Trust in 2025 specifically for failing to manage work-related stress.

"Employers have a legal duty to protect workers from stress at work by doing a risk assessment and acting on it."

— HSE, Work-related stress guidance

Training your managers to recognise the warning signs early is the most direct, demonstrable control measure you can put in place — and the one HSE inspectors look for first.

§3

The training

An Ofqual-regulated Mental Health First Aid qualification, delivered by someone who speaks risk and compliance fluently — not generic wellness language. Two formats, depending on how many people you need trained.

Most requested Booking now

On-site corporate

We come to your boardroom or training room. One flat invoice, no venue cost to you.

Capped at 12–16 staff per cohort
2-day delivery, dates to suit your business
Ofqual-regulated SafeCert Level 3 certification per delegate
Founding-client rate for the first 3 bookings

For smaller teams Coming soon

Open public course

Send one or two managers to a shared course in a local Walsall venue, alongside delegates from other businesses.

Ideal for micro-businesses needing 1–2 seats
Same Ofqual-regulated certification
Dates released once the first cohort is complete

The founding-client offer

The first three businesses to book on-site training receive a significantly reduced rate, in exchange for a short testimonial and a Google review after the course.

3 slots — currently taking enquiries

Claim a slot

§4

Who's behind this

Jupinder brings 15+ years' background as a qualified solicitor in England & Wales, alongside a track record of building local West Midlands businesses from the ground up — including compliance-led ventures in landlord regulation and small business consultancy. Dutyfirst applies that same compliance-first approach to workplace mental health: clear, risk-framed, and built for business owners who need to protect their staff and their legal position — not a wellness lecture.