Almost a third of workers (30%) favour employers that offer workplace mental health support, according to research by flexible working platform Flexa.
Its latest Quarterly flexible working index pooled data insights from 350,000 job searches and 8,000 jobseekers on where, when and how they want to work.
It found that there has been a 20% increase in demand for mental health support since July 2022, when just a quarter of all job seekers expressed a preference for employers that offer this. Since the start of the year, the number of disabled workers preferring to work for employers which provide this rose by 7%, up from 55% in July last year and 59% last quarter.
Additionally, the number of job seekers that prefer employers with work-from-anywhere schemes rose 10% between April and June 2023 to the platform’s highest recorded figure of 88%. The number of workers actively searching for work-from-anywhere roles skyrocketed by 120% between April and June 2023, when one-third were looking for these.
Demand for remote roles also grew month-on-month last quarter, with 59% of all workers preferring these as of June, up by 13% in April this year. Over the last three months, the number of job seekers wanting summer hours has risem by 9%, up from 22% in April and 24% in June.
Molly Johnson-Jones, chief executive officer and co-founder of Flexa, said: “The silver lining in the data we’ve collected at Flexa is that workers evidently feel increasingly able to assert their need for support. Job seekers know that, even if they’re not struggling now, they might need mental healthcare in the future and will be best protected if they are working for employers which genuinely prioritise employees’ wellbeing.
“Workplace mental health support should be a priority for all employers looking to nurture inclusive cultures. Our data also highlights the importance of mental health support when it comes to creating accessible workplaces for disabled candidates.”