Almost a third of employees (30%) feel individuals in their organisation sometimes reject others for being different, according to research by Mental Health First Aid England (MHFA).
To mark My Whole Self Day 2025 (11 March 2025), the organisation published A white paper: The business case for belonging. How psychological safety drives engagement, wellbeing, and performance, for which it surveyed 2,000 employees.
It found that there has been a 25% drop in the number of people who feel they can bring their whole self to work, down from 41% in 2024 and 66% in 2020. More than four-fifths (82%) think it is important people are able to bring their whole self to work, but only 41% feel they can do so, and just 31% felt their colleagues could do so in practice.
Around a third agreed that not being their whole self at work has an impact on productivity (31%), mental health (34%), and engagement with work (36%). More than half (54%) of Black employees said not being able to bring their whole self to work impacts productivity and 51% of those who identify as gay or lesbian say it impacts their mental health. Only one-quarter (25%) of those with mental ill health felt they could bring their whole self to work.
In addition, 9% said they do not feel their team treat each other with respect.
Sarah McIntosh, chief executive of MHFA England, said: “Rather than reverting to a workplace of the past, just because that’s what those that shout the loudest are telling us to do, we should focus on making continued progress towards workplace policies that help ensure work works for everyone.
“The working world has changed dramatically in recent years, and a rigid, one-size-fits-all structure of what a workplace should be risks disengaging and excluding sections of the workforce. This poses a risk to talent retention, performance and productivity. A more flexible, inclusive approach will not only support employee wellbeing but also create a more resilient and adaptable workplace for the future.”
