The UK’s SME sector is vast, diverse and full of momentum, and for intermediaries and insurers focused on growth, it remains a major engine of opportunity.
However, this is not a market where a blanket approach will cut it. Each sector has its own pressures, rhythms and cultural cues.
Understanding those nuances is not just helpful; it’s essential to gaining traction.
That’s why we recently carried out polling among employees in the PR, marketing and communications space, with a particular focus on wellbeing and homing in on mental health, which remains the leading cause of long-term workplace absence and productivity loss in the UK.
This is a trend predicted to continue against a backdrop of economic uncertainty.
Wherever SMEs sit in the value chain, this is a challenge that directly affects their people and their performance.
A communication blind-spot?
Our research with Opinium of 500 UK SME employees in PR, Marketing and Communication roles shows organisations in this sector face particularly acute mental health pressures.
It highlights a paradox: in an industry built on clarity, empathy and connection, employees are not always experiencing those same qualities in their own workplaces.
Despite real progress in reducing stigma, nearly half (45%) of respondents still feel it today.
That may explain why three in ten (29%) of those employees who needed mental health support at work did not feel able to ask for it – even though more than two thirds (68%) said their mental health directly impacted their productivity.
These findings sit alongside an emerging picture from King’s College London, that stigma in the UK may be worsening.
Researchers point to increasingly negative rhetoric; for instance, claims that younger workers are “workshy”.
This risks undoing years of progress and it makes the role of businesses even more significant; they have a powerful opportunity to help shape healthier, more informed conversations.
Barriers and impacts: on people and business
Meanwhile, back to our SME polling – we found the other main barriers to those who needed mental health support at work but were unable to ask, include:
- Lack of managerial training (47%)
- Employees not believing their concerns would be taken seriously if raised (38%)
- Not having the right workplace culture in place to provide support (37%)
- The belief that other colleagues who seem worse off haven’t asked for help (27%)
- Not having the right workplace systems in place to provide support (23%)
Taken together, these findings show how personal and business risks are intertwined.
Mental health is not a soft issue and for smaller organisations the impact of even a few employees struggling can be substantial.
Our data found that more than two in three employees worry about the impact conditions like stress have on their physical health, as well as the negative effect it can have on productivity.
We have found that businesses prioritising mental health are more likely to attract and retain talent.
Nearly eight in 10 respondents were also shown to be more likely to take a job or stay with their current employer if offered stress and burnout management courses, line manager training for common mental health conditions, and easy access to mental health support such as counselling.
Size of the market opportunity
All of this highlights a growing opportunity for intermediaries and insurers.
By helping SMEs build healthier cultures and reduce stigma, you’re not just supporting individual employees – you’re strengthening business resilience and productivity.
The scale is significant too.
There are more than 25,000 active agencies in the UK’s marketing, advertising, creative and media sectors, with more than 85.3% employing ten people or fewer.
The number of agencies nearly doubled between 2015 and 2024, although many now believe the market has reached saturation.
Understanding this context enables much more targeted, relevant conversations with sector specific SMEs.
For these employers, the conversation is increasingly about value – healthier teams, improved productivity, and the competitive advantage that comes from genuinely supporting people.
