A business-focused charity has launched the first part of a three-year survey on employees’ mental health.

Business in the Community, which promotes social responsibility at work, hopes the survey will help firms to combat a rise in stress-related absence from work.

The survey has been launched to mark the first day of mental health week (May 16-22) and is being supported by Mind, CIPD, the Institute of Leadership and Management, The Work Foundation, Maudsley Learning at Work and Mental Health First Aid.

It comes as it was revealed that more than 15m days off work were taken in 2013 because of conditions such as stress or depression. The figure for 2010 was 11.8m days. This, in turn, affects business productivity.

The online survey is confidential and will be conducted every year for the next three years by YouGov.

Louise Aston, wellbeing campaign director at Business in the Community, said: “The launch of the survey is another landmark moment in our work to tackle mental health in the workplace. It will raise public and employer awareness of the importance of mental wellbeing; including the crucial role of the line manager.

“It will identify how equipped line managers and employees are to spot the early warning signs of poor mental health, to have a conversation around mental health, and to signpost colleagues to appropriate support. It will also identify interventions that may be impacting on mental wellbeing, and over time will help us to track the shift in managers’ capabilities to understand and improve mental wellbeing.”

Questions will focus on how employees are affected and what managers can do to support people’s mental health. The survey will close on July 29 and the findings will be revealed just ahead of World Mental Health Day, on October 4.

Paul Farmer, Mind chief executive, welcomed the fact businesses were “beginning to talk more openly” about their personal mental health struggles.

Justin Varney, national lead for adult health and wellbeing, Public Health England, said: “All employers have a responsibility to support the health and wellbeing of their staff. Staff who have positive mental health are more productive and businesses who look after the mental wellbeing of their employees can see a significant impact on business performance.”