UK organisations are facing sustained pressure on employee mental health with a large majority of workers reporting symptoms such as stress anxiety depression burnout and loneliness over the past year.
New research among working adults indicates that while awareness of mental health has increased many employees are still postponing professional support even when they recognise that they are struggling.
The findings are based on a survey commissioned by integrated employee care platform Sonder. The research underpins Sonder’s State of Employee Mental Health and Wellbeing Report and shows that 81% of respondents experienced mental health symptoms in the past 12 months. Despite this one third of respondents 34% said they delayed seeking medical support.
Delays were attributed to a mix of practical and emotional barriers. Nearly half of respondents 47% assumed their symptoms were not serious enough to require medical attention. Long appointment waiting times were cited by 42% while 39% said they lacked time to attend appointments and 32% reported concerns about what a diagnosis might reveal. These factors combine to create gaps between need and access to care.
The research suggests that postponing support can lead to worsening conditions for individuals and extended periods of absence for employers. It also reflects wider national concerns about workforce health and participation as highlighted by government reviews into sickness absence and economic inactivity.
Delayed Access to Care and Workplace Impact
According to the survey fatigue and low energy are near universal experiences with 94% of respondents reporting these symptoms at some point. A further 71% said they experience physical symptoms that undermine productivity while only 21% reported feeling a genuine sense of belonging at work. Together these findings point to a workforce that is present but often operating below capacity.
The data echoes conclusions from the UK Government’s Keep Britain Working review which points to the growing economic impact of burnout anxiety and long-term sickness absence. Against this backdrop employers are under pressure to address not only immediate wellbeing needs but also longer-term resilience and engagement.
The research also highlights a contrast between employees’ views of organisational intent and their confidence in accessing effective help. Four in five respondents 81% said they approve of their employer’s financial and wellbeing support and two-thirds reported that their organisation has provided practical support for hybrid or remote working. However this approval does not always translate into confidence that deeper mental health needs will be met.
Many workers continue to rely on self-directed approaches. Half of respondents 49% use physical exercise to manage anxiety and wellbeing and the same proportion rely on social connections. While these strategies can be helpful the findings suggest that employees want broader and more systematic support alongside personal coping mechanisms.
Effective Interventions ‘Still Out of Reach’
Attitudes towards specific workplace interventions indicate where expectations are strongest. A six to one majority 64% to 9% said discounted or subsidised healthcare is important or very important. Support following critical incidents was rated as valuable or very valuable by 57% compared with 11% who disagreed. Mental health first aid training at work was seen as important or very important by 57% versus 17% who disagreed.
“Most workers regularly feel exhausted or burnt out which is consistently undermining their ability to give their best,” says Craig Cowdrey CEO Sonder. ”Without access to the right support at the right time the UK’s mental health and wellbeing crisis is only going to worsen.
“Despite most employees approving of their organisation’s efforts to provide a sympathetic work environment they still believe that effective interventions for their own deep-seated mental health needs are out of reach.
“For UK organisations to perform consistently better in the future they will need to move from offering tactical support ‘at the edges’ to putting game-changing preventative mental health and wellbeing support at the centre of their employee value proposition. This means investing in more resilient cultures and connected workplaces but also in easily-accessible clinically-based employee health safety and wellbeing programmes.”