Majority don’t think employer supports mental health well

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Only one in six UK workers feel their mental health is well supported by their employer, despite employee wellbeing being high on organisations’ agenda as they emerge from the pandemic.

Research by healthcare “top-ups” provider Lime Global finds that just 16% of workers agree that their mental wellbeing is very well supported at work, with 42% stating that they expect their employer to do more to support mental health.

Lime’s report raises concerns about “pleasanteeism” – the idea that people feel under pressure to put on a brave face around others – and the affect it might have on employee resilience. More than half of the 2,132 workers surveyed for the report feel they have to hide their concerns from colleagues and a quarter who are returning to the office after working from home are worried about having to be the “best version” of themselves at work.

It suggests that employee mental health has worsened significantly over the course of the pandemic, with 40% feeling less resilient now than before the pandemic.

People are also struggling to cope at work (26%) and in every day life (34%).

Asked what employers could do to help, 25% agree that organisations should be more mindful about workload and work/life balance; 22% want greater flexibility in working hours; 20% want time out of work to deal with personal commitments; and 20% want to be able to take days off for their mental healt