Mental health charity Mind has conducted a survey which indicates that workers who admit to feeling stressed or depressed fear being sacked or forced out of their jobs.
Research for Mind’s Taking care of business campaign found that work is the most stressful thing in people’s lives, but 1 in 5 people believe that if they mentioned their stress levels they would be put first in line for redundancy.
Shockingly, the charity also found that workers’ fears weren’t unfounded, with 22% of those who had disclosed a mental health problem in a previous job saying they had been fired or forced to quit.
Mind’s survey of over 2000 workers found:
• 41% are currently stressed or very stressed in their jobs – making it more stressful than money worries, marriage and relationships or health issues
• 2 in 3 had been put under more pressure by management since the downturn
• A third feel stressed by a reduction to budgets in their workplace
• 48% are scared to take time off sick
• 28% are stressed by the threat of redundancy, rising to 41% for public sector
• 1 in 5 fear mentioning stress would put them first in line for redundancy
• 7 in 10 said their boss would not help them cope with stress
Each year, millions of workers experience stress, depression and anxiety but Mind is concerned that unaddressed mental health issues are reaching fever pitch as hard-pressed businesses pass on the strain to workers. Budget cuts and job losses have radically impacted on our mental health with the most stressful aspects of today’s workplace being excessive workload, unrealistic targets, the threat of redundancy and frustration with poor management. However, despite the huge increases in pressure, staff are reluctant to speak up for fear they will be perceived as ‘weak’ or ‘less capable’ than colleagues – and shortlisted for job cuts.
Mind found appalling attitudes towards mental health at work:
• 41% said stress is a ‘taboo’ topic
• 46% said time off for stress was seen as an ‘excuse’ for something else
• 1 in 4 said they would be deemed less capable than others if they admitted to feeling stressed
• Of those who had disclosed a mental health problem to their boss in a previous role, 22% had been sacked or forced out of their jobs
The figures confirm that despite the widespread prevalence of mental health problems, stigma and discrimination are so rife that mental health has become an elephant in the room. Every year British businesses lose £26 billion in sickness absence and lost productivity, or £1035 per employee. However, with greater awareness and mental health support, businesses could save one third of these costs - a mammoth £8 billion a year.
