Under half (42%) of respondents feel that their manager would be able to spot any signs that they may be struggling with poor mental health, according to research by Mind.
A survey of 43,892 employees, across 74 organisations taking part in Mind's Workplace Wellbeing Index, a benchmarking tool, also found that 84% of respondents would continue to go to work when experiencing poor mental health.
The research also found:
- 48% of respondents have experienced poor mental health, such as stress, low mood and anxiety, while working for their current employer.
- 21% of respondents believe that their current workload is unmanageable.
- 58% of respondents would still attend work when experiencing poor physical health.
Emma Mamo (pictured), head of workplace wellbeing at Mind, said: “As we mark Mental Health Awareness Week, it is worrying to discover that half of employees still don’t feel able to speak out. Too many people struggling with poor mental health, such as stress, anxiety and depression, still feel they need to stay silent. For some, reasons include not feeling comfortable disclosing their mental health problem, worrying their employer will think they can’t do their job and not wanting to be treated differently.
“We know that changing workplace culture takes time to filter through an organisation. Encouragingly, forward-thinking employers are taking steps in the right direction. It’s great that so many organisations are asking themselves some challenging questions about how they are supporting their workforce and what they can do to provide a better experience. We need to see more workplaces encouraging open conversations about mental health and championing a more supportive and open environment.”
