Employees struggle to raise mental health issues with their employers

Nuffield Health’s ‘Healthier Nation Index’ 2022, which surveyed 8000 UK adults, revealed that two thirds of respondents (66 per cent) would not feel comfortable raising a mental or emotional wellbeing issue with their employer, and one third are offered no physical or emotional wellbeing support whilst in work.

This number is especially concerning given that our 2022, ‘Healthier Nation Index’, also showed that 1 in 3 people claim their mental health has got worse in the last year. The results highlight a need and an opportunity to provide people with the right mental and emotional wellbeing support in UK workplaces. In particular, the research also helps shape our understanding of how people feel about what their employer has to offer and the kind of support they’d like implemented.

Our National Lead for Emotional Wellbeing, Gosia Bowling , commented:

“It’s worrying to see the majority of UK employees are being left to manage mental or emotional wellbeing issues on their own in the workplace and it’s more important than ever that employers find ways to create inclusive and connected workplace environments where people feel supported. Not only will this help productivity, but it will also boost happiness levels.”?

HR author, analyst?& commentator Mervyn Dinnen comments:

“The findings around mental health are very concerning. Good mental health is so important for individual wellbeing, and for productivity and engagement in the workplace. ?I’m very concerned that two-thirds do not feel comfortable raising a mental health or emotional issue with their employer. ?

“The number one thing organisations must start to do is to prioritise mental health awareness training for their managers and leaders. Individuals should always feel safe letting their managers know when they need support and be able to have open and honest discussions. Everyone in an organisation should be able to support their colleagues.”

?This theme is furthered by Perry Timms , founder and chief energy officer at PTHR:

“We have more to do in de-stigmatising mental health concerns by allowing people to understand they may be suffering, if they do, it is safe to raise them and seek support. Wellbeing was a board agenda item even before the pandemic but certainly continues to be prevalent in looking at organisational resilience and the ability of the company to achieve its goals. Healthy people, living balanced lives, are more likely to perform well. Indeed a whole section of Gov.uk is dedicated to this topic… ?

“This report, therefore, is vital in surfacing and tackling health-related issues and gives people a safe and positive space to raise and flag any concerns. ?My first recommendation is that any company that feels they need to engage in more dialogue with their people should use this report to create conversations, exchanges and feel comfortable talking about health and well-being states.

“Keep using Nuffield Health’s report as your touchstone and conversation starter. This report allows you to table it, discuss it, review things, act on things and improve how balanced you are in health AND performance.”

?How to support employees

Employers can pay a huge role in creating an environment where employees feel a sense of connection and belonging by promoting campaigns which foster connectivity and team building.

Gosia Bowling offers advice on how employers can play their part in creating a connected and inclusive workplace:

• Foster connectivity

Employers can pay a huge role in creating an environment where employees feel a sense of connection and belonging by promoting campaigns which foster connectivity and team building. For example, employers may consider offering Emotional Literacy Training to staff – equipping them with the skills needed to recognise signs of distress in others and themselves and the confidence to approach them. This way they can nurture a workforce capable of recognising and tackling loneliness.?

• Communication is key

For those feeling disconnected, group video calls and water cooler conversations aren’t the answer. Individuals need to feel they are engaged in meaningful conversation. Leaders should aim to spend at least five minutes with employees each week, practising ‘active listening’ – a skill that requires a genuine understanding and retention of what’s being said and providing a considered response.

This means not speaking over individuals or second-guessing what they’re saying. Instead, take a back seat, listen attentively to what’s being said and show you’ve taken it on board by repeating key phrases or asking relevant questions to demonstrate your understanding.?

• Provide targeted formal support

While meaningful social interaction plays a key role, formal wellbeing support can also be invaluable. This may include Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Employee Assistance Programmes (EAPs) that offer direct and confidential access to a mental health expert. It only takes five minutes to signpost employees towards the support on offer, along with guidance and encouragement on how to access the help available. This may be via email to employees, an office huddle or a virtual ‘wellbeing hub’.

In Conclusion

Mental and physical health continue to top the agenda of health concerns of adults in 2022, however it’s clear that workplace wellbeing is now more important than ever. With new hybrid ways of working and the interconnected nature of our work and personal lives, wellbeing should be at the forefront of all organisations strategies for the future.

By sharing our results, we hope to ensure that others may benefit from our findings and we can fulfil our mission of building a healthier nation.

To download a copy of the full report, please click here, or to watch our deep dive webinar into our findings with Mervyn Dinnen and Perry Timms please click here.

[Methodology: The total sample size was 8,000 adults (aged 16+) across the UK. Fieldwork was undertaken between 14 February and 28 February 2022.?The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are nationally representative, unless indicated otherwise. Censuswide abides by and employs members of the Market Research Society which is based on the ESOMAR principles.

Analysis of Google Trends data reveals that searches relating to “mental health support” in 2022 are +52% higher than in 2019 in the same period. To generate this data, Google Trends analytics determine the search volume of the query ‘mental health support’, in the UK over the last 5 years [until 28/09/2022]. The data was analysed and cross-compared across seasons to showcase the popularity of this search and highlight the most significant statistics. Winter is inclusive of all searches in the months December, January and February Summer is inclusive of the months June, July and August.]