Recent years have seen organisations place mental health at the forefront of their business, particularly on the back of the pandemic as around a third of adults and young people now suffer from worse mental health than they did before.
We’ll explore the reasons why companies should invest in mental health resources for their staff and how other workers have also had to adapt to the nation’s increasing need for support.
How does mental health affect the workplace?
A recent survey showed that 19% of employees have taken time off work for mental health reasons, yet 63% have not been honest with their employer about the reason for their absence. This shows there is perhaps more work to be done to eradicate the stigma attached to having time off to look after our mental health.
Having the proper support in place could allow an employee to be more open about their mental health, leading to the ability to access the right help sooner and lower the impact on the business.
How have therapists been affected by the increase in poor mental health?
Counsellors in all fields have had to adapt their business and implement the right insurance for therapists to make sure they’re able to provide quality assistance with the increase in demand since Covid.
According to the BACP, 80% of those working in the field say demand for therapy since the pandemic is either full or over capacity, leading to longer waiting lists and a lack of support for people needing help.
How does investing in mental health benefit businesses?
Employees are now seeking out organisations that place importance on wellbeing, mental health and a balanced lifestyle, meaning companies are needing to emphasise mental health benefits to attract talent.
As many workers chose to leave their jobs during the pandemic in favour of a better work/life balance or family commitments, it’s now more important than ever for places of work to adapt to new ways of working, whether that be remotely or in an office or other workplace setting.
Some ways in which businesses are doing this is by offering time off in the form of wellbeing days, a balanced and flexible schedule and creating open conversations around mental health to help remove the stigma.
Not only does this benefit the employee, but it also shows that the company is adaptable and willing to invest in its workforce, leading to better talent retention and potentially fewer sick days.
