The mental health impact of the pandemic and current world events has been well documented, with increased reports of declining mental health levels affecting all age groups being apparent to many. So, what are employers doing to help combat this rise and support their employees? Unfortunately, data collected in a recent survey would suggest not enough.
Data collected by Mental Health First Aid England, who surveyed 2,000 people about their experience in the past 12 months, was released data on the 18th March to mark My Whole Self Day. It showed that 48% of the group had no wellbeing check-ins in a full 12-month period. What’s even more shocking is this number is almost double the reported number in the previous year’s survey (25% in 2021). Only 27% of participants reported receiving a wellbeing check-in from their employer monthly or more.
There is some light to be taken from this data that employers should capitalise on. A third of respondents (32%) said they feel more comfortable talking about their mental health now than they were before the pandemic. Furthermore, just under half of the employees surveyed said they felt most comfortable talking about their mental health face-to-face (47%).
Employers need to take advantage of these positive trends and take more action. Regular wellbeing check-ins don’t only give employees a safe space to bring any issues to light but shows them their mental health is being taken seriously. Providing managers with the training and resources they need to support their teams can help achieve this.
For more advice on how to help manage your employees, Mental Health First Aid England have many more resources, we have also created a back-to-basics blog on stress management.
