Young people at the start of their careers say they would like employers to offer mental health support at work, which would help them work more effectively, finds recent research
Two-thirds of young people believe that the state of their mental health – in the context of changing working patterns, repeated lockdowns and worries about climate change – impacts their effectiveness at work and that it is time for employers to offer better support in the workplace.
In a survey of 1,000 professionals aged 20 to 26 by YouGov, commissioned by the City Mental Health Alliance (CHMA) in partnership with BUPA, one in five people said their mental health affected their ability to do their job well “all the time” or “often”, while 41 per cent said it had happened “sometimes” over the last year. Meanwhile nearly one-third of those surveyed said they had taken time off work, either as sick leave or annual leave, because of struggles with their mental health.
The survey also revealed employers who offer mental health support and prioritise employee wellbeing were considered more attractive by this generation of employees.
Sixty per cent said that mental health support at work would help them work more effectively, while 66 per cent said it would increase job satisfaction, making them want to stay at the company. Nearly half (47 per cent) said that whether or not an employer makes staff mental health and wellbeing a priority is one of the “most important things” they look for in a prospective employer.
That said, barriers remain to young professionals feeling confident enough to ask for help at work – with only 27 per cent saying that they would feel comfortable using mental health services at work and 47 per cent saying that they would be more inclined to use these services if they could be reassured that it wouldn’t impact their career.
CHMA is calling on businesses to improve support for young employees in three ways – by implementing good working practices that protect against burnout; by offering and signposting mental health and wellbeing support; and by challenging the stigma around mental health at work, for example by having those in senior positions speak out about mental health.
“We believe that businesses have a responsibility – and an opportunity – to support the positive mental health of people in early careers,” says Farimah Darbyshire, head of programmes at the CMHA. “Or they can exacerbate the problem by allowing stigma and unhealthy working practices to go unchecked.”
The research found that the introduction of home working during the pandemic was a factor in people’s mental health impacting their work, as lines between work and home lives became blurred with “no clear indicator when the workday had ended”.
If you are looking for mental health and wellbeing support, find local sources of help on this website.
