Mental Health Awareness Week 2021 and the issues for HR

Mental Health Awareness Week 2021 has arrived and with it a host of research from companies across the country raising awareness of how serious the problems could be for HR in supporting people return to work.

While this year’s focus is under the theme ‘nature’, businesses have been more concerned with how worried employees are about coming back into work.

Amy Tomlinson, Head of HR at MetLife UK, said: “Mental health is a subject that touches all of our lives and 2020 while challenging has led to a more open conversation about mental health to begin. From anxiety about returning to the office and taking the train to work again, to financial insecurities following a pay cut or time spent furloughed, many worries are likely to remain in the coming months.

“Indeed, as society opens up and we look ahead to a more sociable summer, it’s important to remember that people’s feelings towards lockdown and the future may be very different. While some are happy to be out and about again others may have enjoyed the security of spending more time at home.

“Stress doesn’t clock off at 5, it can carry over into our evenings and weekends, but employers have a key role to play in supporting staff. From small steps such as encouraging open channels of communication, watching for employee burnout and allowing employees to go at their own pace to reviewing current employee benefits policies and training mental health first aiders, businesses should ensure they are doing all they can to support staff both professionally and personally.”

Finance worries 

According to a report by finance company Close Borthers, more than half (51%) of employees experienced an increase in worries about their mental health due to the pandemic.

The new report, ‘Expecting the unexpected: a spotlight on preparing for a crisis’, claims that the findings show not only work-related mental health of employees has been impacted by the pandemic and that mental health and finances worries are often co-dependent.

Around two in five (39%) employees have experienced an increase in worries about finances with female employees (44%) more significantly impacted than their male colleagues (34%), their research has shown.

Jeanette Makings, Head of Financial Education at Close Brothers said: “Mental wellbeing has always been impacted by poor financial wellbeing, but over the last 12 months this has touched more people and some have been particularly badly affected.

“Sectors have been hit at all levels and so it has never been so critical to ensure that everyone understands and is confident about the choices they have so they can make the absolute best decisions with the money they have.

“This is where employer can help. An employer-led financial wellbeing strategy with hyper-personalised guidance and insight, can play a key role in enhancing the mental and financial wellbeing of their employees.”

Encourage dialogue

Recruitment giant Michael Page has also published a report highlighting the potential ramifications of slipping back into ‘old ways of working’.

Their study showed that a quarter of workers (25%) expressed anxiety about a return to the workplace and that maintaining flexible working conditions was the most popular option for workers when asked how employers could safeguard their mental health.

More than a third (37%) stated it was the most important thing to them ahead of a return to work, while a quarter (26%) would like to see more investment made in mental health policies and resources for employees.

Sheri Hughes, D&I Director at Michael Page said: “Our findings highlight how the UK’s mental health has been impacted at work by this unprecedented year. The world of work was transformed overnight, and it is understandable that some feel anxious about returning to ‘normality’. What is clear is that there is no one size fits all approach which highlights the importance of flexibility.

“We therefore urge both workers and employers to approach the return to the office with an open mind and encourage dialogue both ways. It is important that workers are able to safeguard their mental health as we move out of the pandemic and that employers feel empowered to have conversations with staff about how best to manage the transition.”

Transitionary phase

Natalie Rogers, Chief People Officer at Unum UK, said employers need to think about how they might better support their employee’s mental health and stress levels as we all enter this next transitionary phase into hybrid working.

She said: “The very first thing any organisation must do is listen to their staff and ensure they feel safe and supported. While some of your team may be enthusiastic about returning to pre-pandemic working patterns and will welcome the opportunity to return to offices for a percentage of the week – this won’t be the case for all. Over the past year we’ve seen reports highlighting the impact of remote working.

“Indeed, a recent study found 44% of staff are finding working from home much harder – physically, mentally, and emotionally – than being in the office.

“Where possible, make the effort to speak one-on-one with individual team members or survey how people are feeling ahead of restrictions easing further to identify the needs of your staff going forward, which could help manage stress, burnout, or sickness absence down the line.”

Click here to find out more about Mental Health Awareness Week.