Listening to staff on mental health

Along with sensitive topics like the menopause and financial worries - many workers still do not want to share mental health problems with their employer, according to a new poll.

The findings form part of a much wider study into the nation’s mental health and wellbeing and reveals that 66 per cent of UK adults would not share their mental health struggle with an employer.

It also found that despite 37 per cent of respondents saying their mental health had worsened over the last year, a third (33 per cent) say they were not offered any physical or emotional wellbeing support in the workplace.

With evidence that employees are being left to manage wellbeing issues on their own, businesses are being urged to engage in conversations and offer targeted support.

Peterborough-based Anne Corder Recruitment engages with employers and job seekers on a daily basis and has conducted its own online survey to gauge the mood – and the findings reveal that employers are willing to listen to their staff ’s mental health problems.

Managing director Nel Woolcott said: “While the topic of mental health has been around for many years, the pandemic has certainly cast a spotlight on a subject that affects many people in so many different ways.

“We would all like to think that with more understanding, available support and communication channels that people can seek the help they need with greater ease, but it does remain a concern that so many employees do not feel able to speak to their employer.

Nel added: “With this in mind, we conducted our own survey, asking employers how they felt they could best support staff.”

Results from respondents showed that overwhelmingly (73 per cent) favoured a confidential one-to-one conversation with staff members, while a fifth (20 per cent) said that a collective voicing of concerns as part of a wider team update could be a productive way of sharing, supporting and addressing any mental health issues.