Which Mental Health Support Works well with HR?

A data led comparison of VÕS HELP and popular wellbeing apps

HR teams across Leeds are being offered more wellbeing apps than ever. But the real question is no longer what looks good in a benefits brochure.

It is simple.

What do employees actually use when they are struggling

UK workplace data shows mental health support must work in real moments not just exist on paper.

The workplace mental health problem HR is facing

Stress is one of the leading causes of work related ill health

According to the Health and Safety Executive, 964,000 workers in Great Britain were suffering from work related stress depression or anxiety in 2024 to 2025.https://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/causdis/stress.pdf

These conditions are now the largest single cause of work related ill health across the UK workforce.https://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/overview.htm

For HR teams this highlights one clear issue. Mental health support is no longer optional.

Stress causes millions of working days lost

The Health and Safety Executive also reports 22.1 million working days lost due to stress depression or anxiety.https://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/dayslost.htm

For organisations this is not just a wellbeing challenge. It is a productivity absence and retention issue.

Absence levels remain high across UK workplaces

The CIPD Health and Wellbeing at Work Report shows UK employees took an average of 9.4 sick days per employee over the past year.https://www.cipd.org/uk/knowledge/reports/health-wellbeing-work/

Mental health remains one of the biggest contributors to long term and short term absence.

Anxiety levels remain high nationally

Office for National Statistics data shows over 22 percent of UK adults reported high anxiety levels in recent national wellbeing surveys.https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/wellbeing/articles/ukmeasuresofnationalwellbeing/dashboard

This is the reality HR teams are responding to every day.

Popular mental health apps are built for different needs

There is a reason apps like Calm and BetterHelp are well known. They provide value but they solve different problems to those HR teams are trying to address.

Calm supports self help routines

Calm focuses on meditation sleep breathing exercises and audio content.

This can help individuals build habits and improve rest over time.

However during moments of acute workplace stress many employees do not want to scroll through content libraries. They want reassurance and human connection.

From an HR perspective this can limit usage when support is needed most.

BetterHelp is an online therapy platform

BetterHelp connects users with licensed therapists for ongoing online therapy.

This can be effective for long term therapeutic support. However it is typically a scheduled model rather than immediate support in the exact moment someone reaches out.

For HR teams this can create gaps around urgency immediate intervention and duty of care.

Why VÕS HELP works better for HR teams

VÕS HELP was designed around how people actually behave when they are struggling at work.

Real time human support when it matters

When stress anxiety or overwhelm hits most people do not want another article or exercise.

They want to speak to a person.

VÕS HELP provides real time access to human mental health support, designed specifically for moments when employees need help now.

This directly aligns with national stress and absence data.

Higher likelihood of real usage

Many wellbeing tools fail because they rely on self motivation during high pressure moments.

Support is more likely to be used when it feels immediate human private and simple.

This is the difference between offering wellbeing and delivering wellbeing.

Built for HR outcomes not just engagement

HR teams are accountable for absence retention wellbeing and duty of care.

With work related stress remaining one of the leading causes of sickness absence tools that employees actually use are essential.

VÕS HELP is designed to support real workplace outcomes not just app downloads.

Simple comparison for HR decision making

Calm works best for

Sleep improvement Meditation routines Self guided wellbeing content

BetterHelp works best for

Ongoing online therapy Scheduled professional sessions

VÕS HELP works best for

Real time human mental health support Immediate workplace intervention HR focused wellbeing strategies employees actually use

What HR teams in Leeds should ask before choosing support

Can an employee get help today Is the support human or content based Will staff use it under pressure Does it support duty of care responsibilities Can it realistically reduce absence over time

National data shows stress anxiety and absence are not slowing down.

Support must meet people where they are.

Leeds focused conclusion

Calm and BetterHelp are not wrong. They are simply built for different needs.

If your HR goal is a mental health support service employees actually use in real moments of difficulty VÕS HELP fills the gap other apps leave behind.

📍 Leeds📲 VÕS HELP it’s you