Four out of five expat workers are suffering from at least one mental health symptom and almost half are struggling with burnout, new research has revealed.
The survey of non-native workers around the globe by health insurer AXA also found 81% admitted to having at least one exit strategy from their current job to help them manage the impact their work is having on their mental health.
The report, A Global State of Mind, found a third were looking to quit or change their job to address their mental health concerns. More than two in five (45%) were also looking at upskilling options, such as training courses, to help facilitate this move.
More than a quarter (29%) were dissatisfied with their company’s psychological support services and are 16% more likely than their native peers to have a negative experience following a mind health concern.
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More than half (52%) of non-native personnel would not feel comfortable discussing a mental health concern with their managers. Non-native employees in non-managerial roles were 21% more likely than native peers to say that better mental health support training for managers would help them with their mental wellbeing.
Nearly two thirds (58%) of non-native managers said they were experiencing burnout, compared with 52% of their native peers, and more than one third (35%) have taken sick leave as a result.
Non-native managers were 23% more likely than native managers to have taken sick leave at least once in the last 12 months and were also more than twice as likely to do so than their non-native peers who are not in managerial roles.
Samantha O’Donovan, chief people officer for AXA – Global Healthcare, said: “To learn that a large portion of the non-native community is considering leaving or changing their job for mental health reasons is a major concern for employers and healthcare service providers worldwide.
“Managers are cornerstones of company culture, and bear much of the responsibility for cultivating a mentally safe working environment. Yet they’re often the ‘squeezed middle’ between the pressures of meeting their people management responsibilities and operational priorities.
“Arming managers with the skills they need to offer mental health support to the colleagues they manage, as well as the resources to manage their own wellbeing, will help to make sure this crucial branch of business remains resilient, inclusive and compassionate in the face of mind health challenges,” O’Donovan added.
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