Don’t suffer in silence: The need to tackle workplace mental health
A healthy workforce can be key to business success, which is why employers place so much focus on mental health in the workplace.
A new survey from Friends Life has revealed that four in ten workers has experienced stress, anxiety or depression but has not told their employer.
Maybe this is because more than 50% of those questioned said they thought admitting to mental health issues would damage their career prospects.
A quarter of workers also said they took a sick day to help them deal with a mental issue, highlighting the seriousness of the issue.
For business owners, the health of a workforce can have an impact on productivity, as one that is struggling with various issues is unlikely to be as productive.
Support for all staff should be readily available and everyone should be actively encouraged to reveal their issues in order for them to receive assistance.
Workers should not need to hide any mental health issues from their employers and doing so could ultimately harm their job performance.
While the worker’s health will always come first, businesses will also need to ensure that any drops in productivity do not place a company under further financial stress.
Ironically, hiding the issues could actually add to the problem as other workers could become stressed or struggle as a result, exacerbating any existing problems.
Taking action and seeking insolvency advice where necessary could help to alleviate any potential stress, while efforts should be made to ensure a culture of silence does not occur.
Anxiety, stress or depression can affect anyone in any position within a company and businesses have a legal responsibility to tackle any issues that are brought to their attention.
More can always be done to ensure that a workforce is a happy one and no worker should be left feeling vulnerable or demotivated.
Excessive workloads and long hours were listed as the major causes of stress, while younger workers were more likely than older ones to experience stress.
By Phil Smith