Staff suffering mental health issues feel managers are not supportive

mental health

Only half of UK employees feel their line manager supports their mental health, yet three in four line managers pointed out they feel confident in supporting workers experiencing mental health issues, reports City AM.

The study of over 15,000 employees across 30 firms including Deloitte, HMRC, Jaguar Land Rover and Pepsico showed that overall staff surveyed reported having good mental health at work.

However, where employees’ mental health wasn’t good, they felt their workplace was one of the contributory factors.

Just over one in 10 said their mental health was poor while over one in four experiencing poor mental health said that this was due to problems at work.

The study also highlighted that there is still stigma attached to mental health problems with only one in four of all respondents saying they would be likely to seek support from their manager if they were experiencing a mental health issue.

Emma Mamo, head of workplace wellbeing at Mind, said: “In the last few years, we’ve seen employers make great strides when it comes to tackling stress and supporting the mental wellbeing of their staff, including those with a diagnosed mental health problem.

“Our research shows that mental health problems are very common among employees who work for organisations of various sizes and sectors.

“Fortunately, forward-thinking employers are making mental health a priority and we’re delighted to recognise and celebrate those who’ve taken part in our workplace wellbeing index.”