Almost a quarter of employees said that they would have liked more mental health support from their employer during the various lockdowns, according to new research.
A survey conducted by property developer Cert Property, owner of Manchester-based Hilton House and Duke and Parr in Liverpool, found that 35% of respondents felt their mental health had worsened during the Covid-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic.
Around 31% wanted access to therapists in the workplace, while a third (30%) would have liked more training on mental health issues to help themselves and colleagues. Nearly a quarter (23%) agreed that mental health support groups would be a positive step forward.
Around 42% said that they feel more stressed in the office as opposed to working at home, with 45% preferring to be in the office. Despite 77% enjoying home working, only 12% would opt to do so five days a week. Being away from the workplace was shown to cause 29% to experience a lack of motivation, and 27% confessed that they struggled with loneliness.
The survey showed that people were excited about socialising with the rest of the workforce. Men missed their workmates the most, with 56% saying they were looking forward to seeing their colleagues again compared to 49% of women.
Howard Lord, founder of Cert Property, believes that the survey results showed that what is expected of workspaces and employers has changed forever. He thinks employees are looking to return to “nurturing and inspiring” spaces that enable collaboration.
“It is no wonder workers are missing the in-person connectivity and collaboration, never mind the social element of office life. While people clearly still want the benefit of having a dedicated place to focus on work, they also expect to be able to find a better work-life balance with more flexibility than before,” he said.