1 in 6.8 people experience mental health problems in the workplace
(Mental Health Foundation)
So it’s really important for us to speak up about how our workplace is affecting our mental wellbeing.
What factors are contributing to our decline in mental health at work:
- Workload
- Pressure
- Deadlines
- Lack of work life balance
- Stress
- Can’t relax or switch off from work in personal time
Even though we are speaking up and addressing mental health more than ever before, 85% of people still feel there’s a stigma that exists in many UK workplaces (as reported in the Business Insider). However, this stigma shouldn’t prevent you from speaking up, as the only way we will break this stigma is by talking about mental health more and more.
Why is it in your employer’s best interest to know how your mental health is affecting your work?
Mental health affects:
- Our performance at work
- How productive we are
- How creative we are
- How happy we feel in our jobs
- Our thoughts and feeling towards the company itself
- Our attendance at work
- Our willingness to go the extra mile
- Our likelihood of continuing to work with the company
The cost of mental health has increased, costing UK employers up to £56 billion during 2020 – 2021, due to presenteeism*, staff turnover and absenteeism (Delolitte, 2022).
*Presenteeism is the act of turning up at work without being productive
Research conducted by the Berwick Partners, found that less than half of UK employees (43%) would be comfortable speaking to their line manager about their mental health, so if you feel like one of these people, here’s some tips on how to approach this conversation:
- Decide who you feel most comfortable talking with
- Think about how much information you want to share with them
- Focus on how your mental health is impacting your job
- Think about what you want to gain from the conversation (flexibility with deadlines, extra support, remote working etc.)
- Arrange a timeslot with them to dedicate private time to talk about your mental health
Remember that talking about your mental health is a strength not a weakness.
If you would like more support, resources and advice, please visit:
