The stigma around discussing mental health is still very much present and over three quarters (77.8 per cent) of Brits agree that not enough is being done to support mental health at work. In fact, almost half (46.1 per cent) have considered resigning from a job due to lack of support. That’s according to the latest data from CV-Library, the UK’s leading independent job site.
The survey of 1,100 UK workers sought to explore the topic of mental health in the workplace and how well employers support their staff. With 42.9 per cent revealing that aspects of their job can cause them to feel anxious or depressed, it’s clear that something must to be done to combat these issues. When asked what measures employers can introduce to help support their staff, respondents said:
- Promote a healthy work-life balance – 6 per cent
- Create an environment where mental health is not stigmatised – 15 per cent
- Refer employees to a counselling service – 7 per cent
- Talk more openly about mental health – 9 per cent
- Have an internal counselling service for staff – 6 per cent
Furthermore, the majority (83.6 per cent) of professionals believe that employers should offer mental health days for staff, with 78 per cent agreeing that they’d be more likely to work for a company that did. A staggering 88.4 per cent also said that they believe that employers should be given training to help them understand mental health and how to help employees who may be suffering.
Lee Biggins, founder and managing director of CV-Library, comments:
“It’s sad to learn that professionals aren’t feeling supported by their employers when it comes to their mental health and it’s clear more needs to be done to tackle this. With almost half confessing that they’ve thought about quitting a job due to lack of support, employers need to know how to address these issues. Otherwise they may risk losing talented employees.”
Worryingly, 60.2 per cent of Brits confessed that they would be too embarrassed to disclose information about the state of their mental health to their employer. What’s more, two thirds (63 per cent) feel guilty for taking time off for mental health reasons.
Biggins concludes:
“From the data it’s obvious that there is a deep-rooted stigma around talking about mental health, particularly at work. Honesty and strong communication both contribute towards a great company culture and the wellbeing of staff needs to play a part in this. Employers need to create an environment where staff feel they can approach their boss if they’re struggling or take some time out when they need to recharge their batteries.
“Consider partnering up with organisations that can offer counselling services, as these could be extremely beneficial to staff. Also think about mental health days and encouraging employees to take care of their mental health just as much as their physical. No one would be made to feel bad if they left the office due to a stomach bug, so the same should apply to invisible illnesses such as these.”
For more tips on helping your staff, check out our guide for supporting employees with mental health issues.
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.
