UK 
United States
While Blue Monday has come and gone, it’s been revealed that the UK’s staff are struggling with more than just the winter blues; research from CV-Library, the UK’s largest job site, reveals that over a third (35.5%) of the nation’s workers are dealing with depression. While many organisations work to raise awareness surrounding mental illness, it seems that the attitudes surrounding depression in Britain’s workplaces are in dire need of changing.
This comes after the job site conducted research amongst over 1,100 of the nation’s employees, to further explore mental health in the working environment; of those dealing with mental illness at work, a huge 41.7% confessed that they feel judged by their colleagues. It’s unclear whether workers are choosing to keep their illness to themselves due to a fear of judgment, or whether employees are living by Britain’s ‘stiff upper lip’ motif, but an overwhelming 74.3% of the nation’s employees admitted that they wouldn’t feel comfortable talking to their manager about their issues.
It’s no secret that there are huge gaps in society when it comes to supporting those with mental illness, however, these issues appear to have spread to the workplace; 70% of depressed workers have in fact confessed that they don’t feel supported by their employers. Ironically, this lack of support may even contribute to the isolation that often comes hand-in-hand with depression; meaning even more suffering for Britain’s struggling workers. The data suggests that perhaps HR professionals could be doing more to ensure that there is adequate support within the workplace, whether this is by promoting mental health awareness through staff events, or sitting down with affected individuals and discussing their needs.
The job site’s research reveals that flexible working was ranked as the top way that businesses can help those who are suffering to find a healthy balance between work and depression; over a fifth (22.8%) of workers listed this as their preference. Furthermore, more support from management was important to 21.2% of employees, whereas 13.1% of staff feel that reassurance of their job security would be helpful; useful indicators for HR workers to ensure that staff are getting the support that they need.
Additionally, 9.3% of employees who are juggling mental illness with their career believe that reduced workloads would be helpful, whereas 8.5% would like their employer to provide access to counselling services, to aid them in overcoming their issues. While it’s certainly positive that staff have identified ways in which their employer could help them, it’s worth noting that unless these measures are put into play, the situation is unlikely to change. Currently, 63.5% of workers wouldn’t feel comfortable giving their depression as the reason for calling in sick, simply showing how much more work could be done by HR teams to help mentally ill workers.
If dealing with depression whilst in employment wasn’t difficult enough, the research suggests that job hunters with mental illness fear that their depression will have a negative impact on their job search; a staggering 89.2% believe that disclosing depression in an interview would hinder their chances of getting the job. Furthermore, 64.8% of job hunters would choose not to disclose their depression to a prospective employer, further highlighting the stigma surrounding mental illness in the workplace. This may come as disturbing news for today’s HR professionals, especially those who are in charge of sourcing new talent; employees with depression simply don’t feel that they can be honest about their condition, which could lead to issues further down the line.
The job site also conducted research amongst the nation’s workers who haven’t suffered with mental illness in the workplace, and the results simply showcased the prejudices that depressed employees contend with throughout their careers; over half (50.8%) of staff believe that depression lessens a worker’s abilities, whereas 73.1% feel that there is still a negative stigma around depression in the workplace.
When looking at attitudes surrounding those who deal with depression at work, over a third (39.8%) of workers believe that their depressed colleagues are treated badly as a result, with workers suggesting that they are excluded or alienated. And a further 68.5% of the nation’s employees anticipate a change in their colleagues attitudes towards them, should they ever be diagnosed with depression; a clear sign that beliefs towards mental illness need to change rapidly.
However, it’s not all bad news. The job site’s research actually reveals that 43.8% of employees believe that their colleagues with depression are treated equally, and over half (54.4%) said that they would happily hire someone with depression, if they were in charge of hiring, suggesting that some current HR policies may be working well. It’s clearer than ever that more needs to be done in the UK to help eradicate the stigma around mental illness, providing suffers with some relief, and workers across the nation with a better understanding of depression.
A change in the attitudes toward mental illness is vital in ensuring that the nation’s workplaces are full of healthy workers, who can fight mental illness with their employer’s support, and without the fear of judgement. The good news is that there are plenty of ways in which HR professionals can work to overcome these challenges; by encouraging mental health awareness in the workplace, and providing depressed individuals with support and understanding, workers should start to feel more comfortable.
