I don't want to talk about it | More than half of UK staff uncomfortable with discussing mental health at work

More than half of UK employees feel uncomfortable disclosing mental health or psychological conditions, such as ADHD, anxiety, or depression, in the workplace.

New research from jobs and careers site Reed, which surveyed over 2,000 workers and jobseekers across the UK, found Millennials (anyone born between 1986-1991) are the generation least likely to disclose any mental health issues to their colleagues, with 57% stating they wouldn’t feel comfortable. Perhaps surprisingly, however, Baby Boomers, those aged 57-75, were the most comfortable talking about their mental health, with only 45% saying they wouldn’t want to open up.

Those working in the energy sector feel the most uncomfortable when it comes to talking about mental health conditions in the workplace, as a whopping 81% of them wouldn’t want to talk about it with their employer or teammates, closely followed behind those working in engineering (75%) and accountancy (69%). For energy sector employees, the fear of being judged negatively by employers and colleagues is the main reason they don’t speak up (35%), and for engineers, it’s worries about career progression that stops them from talking about their mental health (37%). Over two-fifths (43%) of accountants said they’d feel too exposed and vulnerable if they ever said anything about a mental health condition.

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There’s a gender divide between men and women, as over half of all men surveyed (54%) say they’re uncomfortable discussing mental health conditions with their colleagues, whereas 49% of women say the same. Nevertheless, it’s women who are more worried about negative perceptions of themselves if they were to take a day off sick for mental health reasons, with 42% citing this as the main reason stopping them from taking a day off, versus 37% of men.