One in three men say their jobs are causing them to have poor mental health, according to a survey by mental health charity Mind.
The research said that many men work in industries where a “macho culture” exists which may prevent them from talking about their feelings.
The charity raised concerns that many men do not feel able to speak to their bosses about the impact their job is having on their wellbeing.
31 per cent of men said the culture in their organisation makes it possible to speak openly about their mental health problems, compared with 38 per cent of women.
Of the 15,000 employees that took part in Mind’s Workplace Wellbeing Index survey, 1,763 said they are currently experiencing poor mental health.
Over 30 organisations were involved, including Deloitte, HMRC, the Environment Agency, Jaguar Land Rover and PepsiCo.
The survey also found that men are less likely to seek help or take time off work – 43 per cent of women said they have taken time off for poor mental health at some point in their career, compared with 29 per cent of men.
The charity said men often try to deal with problems on their own, rather than sharing them.
Emma Mamo, head of workplace wellbeing at Mind, said:
“It is concerning that so many men find themselves unable to speak to their bosses about the impact that work is having on their wellbeing and even more worrying that they are then not asking to take time off when they need it.
“Our research shows that the majority of managers feels confident in supporting employees with mental health problems, but they can only offer extra support if they’re aware there is a problem.
“In the last few years, we’ve seen employers come on leaps and bounds when it comes to tackling stress and supporting the mental wellbeing of their staff, including those with a diagnosed mental health problem.
“However, there is more to do and employers do need to recognise the different approaches they may need to adopt in how they address mental health in the workplace.”
Lee Lomax, CEO and Co-Founder of Beem said:
“Acknowledgement of mental health in the workplace has progressed but it’s clear from these figures that there’s still a long way to go. Many companies are unable to effectively support their staff simply because they have no way of knowing who actually needs the support. More needs to be done to not only encourage staff to open up, but to provide an outlet for them to do so. Only 11% of employees discuss their mental health with a line manager meaning many staff are suffering in silence. Enterprises have a responsibility to help provide that two-way dialogue as a means for staff to communicate their concerns or nothing can be done to improve conditions in the workplace.”
Rebecca joined the HRreview editorial team in January 2016. After graduating from the University of Sheffield Hallam in 2013 with a BA in English Literature, Rebecca has spent five years working in print and online journalism in Manchester and London. In the past she has been part of the editorial teams at Sleeper and Dezeen and has founded her own arts collective.
