Employers need to do more to help their stressed workers, according to new research from mental health charity, Mind.
Of the 2,000 workers polled by the charity, 45% said that were expected to cope with stress without discussing it at work, while 31% did not feel they could talk to their line manager if they were suffering stress.
The survey also shows a disparity in how workers and managers feel about the way mental health is dealt with at work. Only 22% of staff thought their employers were actively helping them cope with stress, while 68% of managers thought that they would try to help employees who were suffering from a mental health issue or stress.
According to Paul Farmer, Chief Executive of Mind, this discrepancy is worrying.
“It is vital that managers are equipped with the tools they need to be able to confidently and effectively support their staff, whether they are experiencing stress or mental health problems as a result of work or other factors,” he said.
“There is a real danger that companies are neglecting workplace mental health, with huge implications for staff wellbeing; not to mention productivity, motivation and sickness absence,” he added. “Employers depend on their staff and there are lots of small, inexpensive measures they can put in place to improve wellbeing and make a huge difference to all staff.”
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