Employers and Employees still in conflict over priorities for Mental Health Support
Many employers in the UK have identified mental health as a priority for improvement, however, their employees continue to feel unsupported when it comes to health and wellbeing within the workplace.
Recent research conducted with 1,300 HR and risk management professionals found that mental health deterioration was ranked as one of the top risk issues for UK employers, the ‘Turning people risk into a business opportunity’ report found that while cybersecurity was highlighted as the top risk on a global scale, respondents from the UK cited worsening mental health as their top risk.
In the UK, both HR professionals and risk managers scored talent attraction, retention and engagement and deteriorating mental health in their top three risks. The report stated that “risk managers may have in mind the risk of employee claims against employers whilst HR may be thinking of maximising employee potential.” However, “communicable health conditions” were not considered a top ten risk in the UK despite the ongoing impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Employee expectations have changed significantly with the result that wellbeing needs to be considered a mainstream business issue that is integrated across every business operation. A recent report by leading business UK network recommends two key ‘call to actions’ for employers to address this problem:
While awareness of employee wellbeing and mental health issues may be increasing, another recent report highlights the depth of concerns that employees have and the perceived level of support from their employers. The ‘Keeping up appearances: How ‘pleasanteeism' is eroding resilience’ report, recently published by a leading healthcare provider, found that just 16% of UK employees felt their mental health was “very well supported” at work, with 42% stating they expect more from their employer in the way of support and 40% prepared to look for a new job if this condition isn’t met. The report found that minimising mental health issues at work was a prevailing theme among employees, as just over half of respondents (51%) felt they were pressured into putting on a brave face among colleagues and 19% stating concerns their stress was visible to others.
Maurice Hammond, managing director of 1Stop4aGP, said: “The past 18 months has had a huge impact on people’s lives, including on their mental health and resilience. The long-term repercussions of the pandemic are likely to be felt for years to come, and it’s important we act now to be aware of and prioritise both our own mental health and that of those around us.”
1Stop4aGP: 360° offers an effective solution for businesses which, for an extremely affordable cost, will enable them to fully demonstrate and embed their commitment to staff wellbeing and mental health. When purchased by an employer, the service covers all employees and their immediate families, providing a holistic approach to healthcare. In addition to our core GP and prescription service, 360° offers employees personalised, on-demand advice and support from a breadth of expert mental health, financial and legal providers – a package of support unequalled within the additional healthcare industry.
Employees accessing the service will be allocated a dedicated case manager, putting them in touch with the experts who will work with them to understand their specific issues and help them to create the solutions they need to achieve a better quality of life. No matter the complexity of an individual’s case, we will be by their side until a resolution is reached.
