According to a CIPD survey, over the past two years the proportion of people who feel that work has impacted positively on their mental health, has fallen. One in four workers reported intense and stressful working conditions - such as feeling exhausted, miserable or stressed. The coronavirus outbreak has led to further concerns about the impact the virus will have on staff wellbeing.
In the Good Work Index report it was found that the number of people stating that work had a positive affect on their mental health dropped 9 percent over the last two years, going from 44 per cent to 35 per cent.
Jonny Gifford - Senior Research Adviser at the CIPD - remarked that even before the coronavirus outbreak, work was becoming worse for mental health.
He stated:
“As the full scale of the economic crisis unfolds, the outlook looks even bleaker. We’ll likely see employers trying to do more with less, which will only increase people’s workload and the pressure they are already under. Many people will also be worried about losing their job or living on a reduced income.”
The CIPD and YouGov polled 6,681 workers in January of this year, finding that 32 per cent said that their workload was too great in a normal week and 24 per cent said that their personal time was not relaxing because of work. In the last year, 69 per cent said their work was contributing to the anxiety they were experiencing and 58 per cent said the same was true for their depression.
A further survey of 1,001 workers conducted in April and May of this year showed that the pandemic was heightening the employees’ issues. Of those with a mental health condition, 43 per cent say the pandemic has contributed to or worsened it.
However, 73 per cent feel their work is meaningful for their organisation - but 11 per cent lack the skills they need for their job and 37 per cent have underused skills.
Jonny Gifford said:
“While the government is right to focus on protecting as many jobs as possible, it should also be encouraging employers to look at job quality. Not only is there a moral imperative to do so, but if people are happy and healthy in their jobs they also perform better, take less time off and are less likely to drop out of the workforce. In the long run, this will help us get on the road to economic recovery sooner.”
Kelly Feehan - Service Director at wellbeing charity CABA - advised:
“If you haven’t done so already, you should look to produce a mental health at work plan or strategy, which you implement and communicate at all levels of the business. Check in with your staff at regular intervals as personal circumstances can quickly change. This will allow you to identify any issues at an early stage and make any adjustments where necessary.”
She added:
“Companies and employers that actively promote mental health in the workplace are far more likely to have a happier and more productive workforce. Employees will feel more supported to do their job, and are therefore less likely to take sick days or look elsewhere for another role.”
