Nearly two-thirds of businesses (64%) say they have seen a rise in absenteeism because of employee mental ill health, yet managers mostly remain oblivious, even complacent, to this growing problem, especially among younger workers, a poll has warned.
The survey of 301 HR directors and business leaders commissioned by consultancy Barnett Waddingham found that, despite these rising numbers, nearly three-quarters still believed their organisations were well-prepared to deal with mental health issues.
This was despite the fact less than half (44%) collected data on employee mental health conditions, whether anxiety or depression (both the same percentage).
Although slightly more (46%) did collect data on stress-related disorders, this general lack of data collection was hindering efforts accurately to assess the scope of the problem, identify employees at risk, and implement effective support measures, said Barnett Waddingham.
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Moreover, just two-fifths of those polled (41%) said their organisation had increased spending on mental health support, while a quarter (28%) said they had boosted training around mental health challenges.
The business leaders polled said they had observed mental health services being most used by younger employees, with 69% believing these services were well-utilised by staff aged 25-34.
Notably, mental health issues were most prominently observed in this younger cohort, with 51% of business leaders reporting a significant impact among employees aged 25-34, compared to decreasing concerns among older workers.
Around a third (38%) of the business leaders said they did not believe they had had any incidents of cognitive conditions such dementia or Alzheimer’s among their workers.
Equally, just 28% and 23% respectively reported no incidences of learning difficulties or neurodiversity, such as ADHD or autism.
This meant many leaders were operating in the dark when it comes to conditions that may affect mental wellbeing at work, said Barnett Waddingham.
By neglecting to track mental health conditions, businesses can miss opportunities to address these issues early, potentially resulting in increased absenteeism, decreased employee morale, and reduced productivity, it warned.
More positively, businesses by and large did recognise the importance of tackling this issue. Two-fifths (40%) said they saw strengthening mental health support programmes as a key strategic priority, with 38% planning to implement mental health support programmes.
Others were adopting phased returns to work (34%) and offering greater flexibility in working arrangements (31%).
Julia Turney, partner, platform and benefits at Barnett Waddingham, said: “It’s clear there is a stark clash between employers’ perceptions of their mental health support structures and the reality.
“Business leaders are operating with naive optimism that they have the right systems and processes in place to support their staff, but they’re working blind; they don’t have the visibility of data or metrics needed to make change.
“Employers are a critical part of the ecosystem and, without accurate insights into workforce challenges, effective solutions are impossible. By implementing robust data capture and analysis of time off sick, causation, and benefit impact, organisations can better understand and improve employee wellbeing for the long term,” Turney added.
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