Mental health support at work

A study by global consumer research platform Pipslay found that despite most employees feeling a need for mental health support at work, many did not feel comfortable seeking help.

The findings were based on a survey of 8,000 UK-based workers conducted last September which sought to understand employee views around the issue of workplace mental health. One of the key findings was that 54% of respondents said they have felt the need for mental health support at work.

However, the research found that only 45% of employees actually work for an organisation that offers mental health support. In addition, only 40% of respondents said they had made use of such services.

The survey also tried to ascertain why employees might be unwilling to reach out for support and two common reasons were fear of such a move being viewed negatively and simply being uncomfortable doing so. In total, 22% of respondents said they would be worried about creating a bad impression at work, while 14% would be uncomfortable seeking support.

Pipslay’s report noted a growing list of companies encouraging employees to prioritise mental health, highlighting Nike’s decision to close its corporate offices for a week in order to allow employees to ‘enjoy additional time off to rest and recover.’ The authors also noted that ‘the global pandemic has both underlined the need for and accelerated the efforts made by companies to address their employees’ mental wellbeing.’