A recent report reveals that rising workloads, exacerbated by colleagues’ absences due to illness or holidays, are taking a toll on the mental health of employees left behind.
The independent study, commissioned by corporate health and wellbeing provider HCML, surveyed companies with over 50 employees and highlights the complex factors contributing to mental health-related absences in the workplace.
The findings show that 40 percent of employers attribute mental health-related absences to increased workloads. Additionally, 31 percent of employees believe their workload pressures would decrease if fewer colleagues were off sick. With the summer holidays in full swing, many employees are on leave, causing an uptick in responsibilities for those still at work, leading to heightened stress and burnout.
Pamela Gellatly, Strategic Development Director at HCML, pointed out that while rising workloads are a significant factor in mental health absences, employers acknowledge that other lifestyle factors are also at play. “This aligns with what we’ve observed with our clients, where a substantial number of employees present with issues related to their perception of how work impacts their health,” Gellatly explained.
Mental health issues and increasing workloads
The report also highlighted other contributing factors to mental health issues, including increased performance expectations, which 27.36 percent of employers identified as a major concern. The cost-of-living crisis was cited by 65.09 percent of employers as exacerbating the problem. Interestingly, larger organisations reported higher absenteeism rates, possibly due to the perceived ability to distribute the workload more evenly among a bigger team.
Gellatly emphasised the importance of employers being equipped to manage workload and support their employees. “Managers have a duty of care to ensure that employees are not overwhelmed when their colleagues are absent,” she said, stressing the need for strategies that address both the symptoms and underlying causes of stress and mental health issues.
The study also found that hybrid and work-from-home arrangements are contributing to mental health-related absences, with 22 percent of employers citing a lack of support in these situations as a factor. Other significant contributors included conflicting home and work demands, job security concerns, and personal life circumstances.
As the NHS struggles to meet the rising demand for mental health services, the report calls on employers to step up by providing more comprehensive health and wellbeing benefits. “For many employers, investing in health and wellbeing initiatives could be the key to maintaining a healthy, happy, and productive workforce,” Gellatly concluded.
With mental health issues and workplace absence closely linked, the need for employers to develop better strategies to support their workforce has never been more critical.
Amelia Brand is the Editor for HRreview, and host of the HR in Review podcast series. With a Master’s degree in Legal and Political Theory, her particular interests within HR include employment law, DE&I, and wellbeing within the workplace. Prior to working with HRreview, Amelia was Sub-Editor of a magazine, and Editor of the Environmental Justice Project at University College London, writing and overseeing articles into UCL’s weekly newsletter. Her previous academic work has focused on philosophy, politics and law, with a special focus on how artificial intelligence will feature in the future.
