Nearly half (49%) of HR leaders reported seeing an increase in mental health absences, a report by mental wellbeing platform Headspace has revealed.<\/p>\n
The latest edition of platform\u2019s annual\u00a0Workforce State of Mind Report<\/em>\u00a0also revealed that while 44% of employees turned to their managers for mental health support, only a quarter of HR leaders said that managers are required to take mental-health-specific training.<\/p>\n A further 43% of employees indicated that their managers had negatively impacted their\u00a0mental health<\/a>\u00a0by lacking an understanding of their life and work hour boundaries, or by treating team members unequally.<\/p>\n The report also highlighted that 78% of employees viewed work stress as having poorly impacted their physical health.<\/p>\n A further 76% said that work stress has caused a personal relationship to end in\u00a0divorce<\/a>\u00a0or break up (this is most common among Gen X), while 40% indicated that work has negatively impacted their ability to care for their family or children’s mental health.<\/p>\n Pamela Gellatly, CEO of workplace healthcare provider Healthcare RM, told\u00a0HR\u00a0<\/em>magazine that managers should consider employees’ stress outside of work.<\/p>\n She explained: \u201cMany managers feel it is not their job to consider factors that are external, but we have to as it is difficult to divide the two.<\/p>\n \u201cMental health does not compartmentalise into work and non-work, it all merges together. This is made worse by home working.\u201d<\/p>\n Nebel Crowhurst, chief people officer at Reward Gateway, commented that managers should have specific mental health\u00a0training<\/a>\u00a0to help employees combat stress.<\/p>\n Speaking to\u00a0HR\u00a0<\/em>magazine, she said: \u201cAll managers should undergo regular mental health training to equip them with the knowledge to help them identify and support various struggles that their people may be experiencing.<\/p>\n \u201cThis will enable managers to have open conversations about how they can support their teams both in and outside of work.\u201d<\/p>\n Crowhurst noted that holistic benefits packages could help employees with their mental and physical health.<\/p>\n She commented: \u201cWhen combating today\u2019s stress epidemic, employers need to look at holistic support packages: rewards, subsidies, benefits and appreciation all go towards helping employees in times of crisis.<\/p>\n