Mental health

‘35% of employers have not talked to staff about their mental health in the past year’, according to study

Barbour EHS

Research by Acas has found that over a third of British employers have not talked to their staff about their mental health and wellbeing over the past year.

YouGov were commissioned by Acas to ask businesses in Britain whether they had personally spoken to staff about their mental health in the last 12 months during the pandemic.

The poll concluded that:

• Nearly 3 in 5 (59%) had spoken to staff
• Over a third (35%) had not talked to staff
• 3% did not know or could not remember
• 3% preferred not to say

Chief Executive at Acas, Susan Clews, commented: “The pandemic has been a challenging period for everyone and it’s great to see that most employers have talked to their staff about their mental health and wellbeing.

“However, a third of employers have not spoked to their staff about their mental health over the past year. Taking the time to talk openly about mental health is vitally important as it can avoid problems building up and lead to improved morale at work.”

The publication of YouGov’s findings coincided with Time to Talk Day, which aims to support people to have conversations about mental health.

Advice for employers on managing mental health during the pandemic:

• Be approachable, encourage team members to talk to you if they’re having problems
• Keep in regular contact with your team
• Address individual communication preferences, e.g., ask employees if they would prefer to talk over the phone/in person
• Respect confidentiality
• Look after your own mental health

For more information on how to best tackle mental health in the workplace, click here. 

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