New data from Headspace via the ‘Fifth Annual Workforce Attitudes Toward Mental Health Report’*, has shared revelatory insights into the state of workplace wellbeing and attitudes towards mental health benefits in the UK.
An overwhelming amount of data from the report, which surveyed over 1,012 employees and 107 CEO’s, across a number of industries in the United Kingdom, emphasised the importance of mental health benefits in the workplace and how this can affect everything from employee retention to recruitment.
MENTAL HEALTH BENEFITS CONTINUE TO BE A PRIORITY FOR BUSINESSES ACROSS ALL INDUSTRIES AS HR LEADERS ADMIT THERE IS STILL MORE WORK TO BE DONE
- 86% of employers agree that these benefits are key to recruiting new talent
- Most (95%) of HR Leaders say they are likely to increase investments in social issues in the coming year
- More than three quarters of HR leaders (82%) think their companies could do more to support employee mental health
- HR (92%), CEO (92%), Employee (89%) agree that it is important for companies to do more to support employees
EMPLOYEES STILL FEEL UNSETTLED AT WORK FOLLOWING UNSETTLING YEARS SINCE THE PANDEMIC AND EMPLOYERS MUST STILL DO MORE TO CREATE A POSITIVE WORK ENVIRONMENT AND COMPANY CULTURE
- 73% of HR leaders agree that there is still a lot of change at work
- HR leaders and CEOs agree that they will likely increase mental health support/benefits if there is a recession
- HR at companies with blue-collar employees are more likely to say they feel dread weekly
- 94% of HR leaders say they feel an increased responsibility to improve company culture to support mental health
HR LEADERS MAY FEEL A SENSE OF DREAD AT WORK BUT ARE NOT USING MENTAL HEALTH BENEFITS AS REGULARLY AS OTHER EMPLOYEES
- Employees (73%) say they regularly use company mental health services more than HR professionals and CEOs
- More than a quarter (26%) of HR leaders say they feel a sense of dread at work at least once a week
- HR leaders who are 50 years old or younger (40%) are much more likely to say they feel dread weekly
Russell Glass, CEO at Headspace states:
Workplace mental health continues to be a top three business priority, with employees and CEOs experiencing frequent levels of stress due to market uncertainty and growing workplace pressures. In response, companies must not only ensure they have robust mental health and wellbeing programs in place, but that their leaders are tending to their own mental health, fostering open conversations with their teams, and helping to reduce stigma in the workplace.
Russell Glass, CEO at Headspace
With NHS mental health service waitlists near capacity, the need for access to mental health services via your employer has seen increased demand as nearly half (40%) of Brits say that having access to these benefits 24/7 is the most important feature on offer from employers. Whilst 86% of employers agree that mental health benefits are key to recruiting new talent, the offer is not currently on the table at every employer across the UK.