A recent health care survey conducted for health care provider Koa Health has found that HR managers now spend an average of 31 per cent more of their time each month on mental health support for employees than before the pandemic.
People’s declining mental health has increased by 400 per cent from the last week of February 2020 to the final week of May 2020, resulting in 72 per cent of UK companies increasing the level of mental health support to employees since the beginning of the pandemic. Additionally - over the next year - 66 per cent plan to increase the level of mental health support they provide.
Despite investment being increased and the importance of mental health and wellbeing being recognised, it is still not being fully rooted in business culture, with 43 per cent of companies in the UK stating that it is not a priority. This rises to just over half of companies with a £100m turnover or higher. Next year, one in nine companies with 3,000 employees or more are planning to decrease their level of support for mental health.
Dr Oliver Harrison - CEO of Koa Health - believes the scale of mental health challenges faced by UK employees has positioned it as the second, silent pandemic of the time.
He told HR magazine:
“For many HR managers, supporting the mental wellbeing of a dispersed workforce throughout and the pandemic will have been the greatest challenge of their career. Without any notice, they had to scramble support, spending an average of 30 per cent more of their time providing mental health support to team members.”
Looking to the future, Dr Harrison said that organisations’ response to the effects of the pandemic recovery will profoundly affect both team members’ mental health and company productivity.
He added:
“That’s why it’s critical that companies act now to move beyond the scramble of 2020 to create a clear recovery plan that embeds mental health as a cultural priority across the business.”
Nicola Tope - HR director at photography provider iStock - said that it is very important that HR teams normalise discussing mental health.
She stated:
“Our HR team have encouraged leaders to be open about their own care so that employees are more comfortable or at least less self-conscious when they need to ask for support for themselves. This is also bolstered by the robust mental health benefits we provide and a multi-layered approach to educating employees and managers about the importance of taking care, whether that’s through webinars, our communications channels or 1:1 coaching.”
Adding that open discussions around mental health and care implementation should be at the top of HR’s agenda as the pandemic continues, she added:
“Initiatives such as meeting-free days and flexible working policies will give employees the support they need to continue to work and collaborate effectively”.
Dr Oliver Harrison further added:
“The rest of 2021 will be critical for staff wellbeing, as UK organisations shift back to a new kind of normal, with hybrid working widely expected to take hold for a lot of sectors. Organisations’ response to the aftermath of the pandemic and this shift to a new normal will make or break individuals’ mental health, not to mention company productivity. With economic recovery predicted to be slow amid ongoing uncertainty, ensuring all workforces are as productive as possible will be a high priority for HR managers over the coming year.”
