Richard Jones, the Institution's head of policy and public affairs, was at a seminar held in the Houses of Parliament and organised by the Mental Health Foundation.
Minister for mental health Alistair Burt took part in the seminar, held on Wednesday 18 May, alongside shadow mental health minister Luciana Berger, Scottish National Party Westminster health spokesperson Dr Philippa Whitford and Liberal Democrat health spokesperson Norman Lamb. It was chaired by the Mental Health All-Party Parliamentary Group's chair, James Morris MP.
Richard said the multi-stakeholder event "was a great opportunity for IOSH to emphasise the important role of the workplace in protecting and enhancing mental health".
It followed a gathering held by the East Midlands Chamber of Commerce on 13 May 2016, where IOSH shared its work on mental health in the presence of business leaders in the East Midlands, James Morris MP and Amanda Solloway MP.
Following the event in Derby, Richard said: "This was a fantastic opportunity for IOSH to highlight the importance and benefits of managing mental health at work to business leaders, public policy-makers and local employers.
"The response to our comments was overwhelmingly positive and it was great to get cross-sector agreement that better training for managers and access to resources are absolutely key, as well as sharing the practical experiences of organisations taking action."
The event included presentations covering absence management, research on wellbeing strategies and the role of employers in improving mental health and wellbeing.
Mental Health Awareness Week began on Monday 16 May and concludes on Sunday 22 May and is supported by IOSH. It is based on the theme of relationships.