Employers are being encouraged to provide mentally healthy working environments as part of a nationwide campaign.

Mental health charity Mind has launched an Employers' Resource Pack and a booklet entitled Surviving Working Life: The Mind Guide to Staying Well in the Workplace.

The charity says that workplaces can no longer afford to ignore the need to care for employees' mental wellbeing, citing a number of recent court cases where stressed workers have successfully sued their employers.

And it underlines that by making very small changes, employers can make a great amount of difference to its workforce's mental health.

It says that the resource pack is a "new tool kit" that provides realistic working solutions to good practice in areas like workplace stress.

And the charity's pack contains advice for the employers of people with mental health problems.

A spokeswoman said: "Whilst acknowledging the apprehension that many employers feel towards disability issues, the pack for personnel staff and managers in all organisations tackles a range of issues from fair recruitment to reasonable adjustments under the Disability Act, to what to do when an employee becomes distressed at work."

Mind's chief executive Judi Clements said: "Looking after employees' mental health makes good business sense.

"The message to employers today is don't panic, you don't need to be an expert in mental health to make small but significant changes to working practice that could make all the difference to your organisation and your staff."

Both packs are being launched at the Media Forum on Mental Health in London.

The employers' resource can be obtained from Mind Publications, priced £19.99. The Surviving Work Life booklet is priced at £1.