Baber, a director in the firm's financial services consulting practice, told HR magazine line managers should be trained in recognising and dealing with the symptoms of depression. "Often people don't want to deal with this issue as they don't understand it," he said.
"Unless someone has suffered from depression themselves, or has seen the effect on someone they know well, they won't understand the condition. Fear of the unknown means employees and managers alike are not always comfortable dealing with it."
Baber added that depression and stress can be linked, but warned against treating them as the same issue. He said depression is a "chemical imbalance", and while stress can be a trigger, it is by no means the only factor that can cause a depressive episode.
Many businesses offer good workplace support for depression and other mental illness, Baber said. But he added many people are put off from taking the support available. This is because they don't feel comfortable admitting the problem to their colleagues.
"This idea persists that people with depression are not as capable of doing their job effectively as others," he said. "This certainly isn't true. Until we reach the point where this is accepted, many people will not come forward to get help at work."
A recent study by Group Risk Development (GRiD) suggests that stress and mental illness is a significant cause of absence for UK employers.
A survey of 1,000 employees across 500 businesses shows 45% of employers see mental health issues as a major cause of long-term sickness absence. Over a third (36%) said tackling mental health issues is their primary health and wellbeing concern.
