National employee mental wellbeing survey

Transcription

1 National employee mental wellbeing survey Sector insights: May 2016 Executive Summary The report The wellbeing campaign at Business in the Community has conducted research into the mental health experiences of employees in different sectors and regions. This is following on from our Mental Health at Work report, published in October This paper sets out the findings from the analysis of the survey s sector 1. We undertook this research to understand the reality of how mental health is experienced, understood and supported in workplaces in the retail sector. This data can be used to create targeted approaches for tackling their particular challenges. Key findings There is a high rate of mental health problems in the retail sector, particularly among year olds, this group are also more likely to attribute their symptoms to work. Nationally, men are significantly more likely to show signs of poor mental health. But within the retail sector, while women are slightly more likely to show these signs, men are more likely to attribute these symptoms to work. CEOs, MDs and board members believe their organisation is supportive of employees experiencing poor mental health, 42% points higher than the panel data. This group along with year olds feel more confident discussing mental health with their line manager than senior and middle managers. This is possibly because more line managers aged have received mental health awareness training compared to other age groups. Line managers in retail believe that the wellbeing of staff is their responsibility, however fewer male managers believe they know how their employees feel compared to female managers. CEOs, MDs and board members, women and year olds are most likely to discuss mental health at work in the retail sector compared to their counterpart groups year olds are most likely to help a colleague showing signs of poor mental health and to approach their line manager for help with a mental health problem. However, most employees in retail would prefer to seek help from outside of the organisation, such as from their GP, family members or friends. 1 Validated by the YouGov panel data of 3,036 full and part-time employees in the UK (sample size of 356 for the retail sector. Please note, when comparing the national panel data and the retail sector responses need to be at least ±6% to be statistically significant to a 95% confidence interval). representative of gender, age, industry sector, region and business size, excluding sole traders and those working alone.

2 Over double the number of women report that their staff have experienced mental health issues in the last month than men and most line managers believed they handled this experience well. When helping another employee showing signs of poor mental health, men tend to seek advice from their own manager compared to women and CEOs, MDs and board members which will seek advice from external sources instead year olds are least likely to seek help from their own manager in this situation, contradicting the earlier finding that this age group is most likely to talk to discuss mental health at work. More than half of employees in retail reported that no action was taken by the employer after expressing a mental health issue. This figure rises for and year olds, as well as CEOs, MDs and board members. Employees in the retail sector would have preferred more help with their workload, instead they were given periods of time off work and received disciplinary action. Business in the Community, The Prince s Responsible Business Network 2

3 Contents Sector Insights We all have mental health Disconnect between employer views and employee experiences Pervasive culture of silence Important role of line managers Responding to employees Conclusion Recommendations Business in the Community, The Prince s Responsible Business Network 3

4 Experiences Sector Insights Our wider findings featured in Mental Health at Work Report 2016 showed that although some progress has been made, the stigma of mental health remains deeply entrenched in UK business. There is greater awareness of the issue, but a devastating disconnect exists between employers intentions and perceptions and the reality of employees experiences. This means that employees are not getting the help they need to maintain a fulfilling and productive working life, and managers are frustrated by the lack of support to do what they know is right. This insight paper will highlight the key differences and similarities between the retail sector and the main panel data with regards to mental health in the workplace. 1. We all have mental health There is a high rate of mental health problems in the retail sector, year olds and males have a higher rate of diagnosis of mental health problems compared to other age groups and the panel data year olds and men are also more likely to attribute symptoms of poor mental health to work. Aligning with this, men are more likely to have experienced poor mental health in the last month whereas contrarily, year olds have the lowest rate of symptoms of poor mental health related to work in the last month Almost 80% of employees in the retail sector have ever experienced a mental health problem and over half have experienced psychological symptoms of poor mental health such as anxiety, depression and panic attacks (Figure 1). Psychological Symptoms 60% 57% Female 81% 84% Male 77% 70% Overall 79% 77% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 120% 140% 160% 180% Percentage Figure 1. Percentage rate of experiences of mental health problems, broken down by gender for both the panel data and retail sector. The impact of age and gender on mental health When looking at age, we can see that the age group year olds appear to have a higher rate of mental health diagnoses, 16% higher than year olds and 11% higher than year olds. This group (69%) are also more likely to attribute symptoms of poor mental health to work than other age groups, along with 75% of year olds, compared to 63% of year olds. Business in the Community, The Prince s Responsible Business Network 4

5 Percentage One third of employees in the retail sector have been formally diagnosed with a mental health problem, which is slightly higher than the panel data (Figure 2). Males have higher rates of mental health problems in the retail sector than in the panel data by 8%. However, men are 10% more likely to relate their mental health issues to work than women in this sector (Figure 3). 40% 35% 30% 25% 33% 29% 25% 23% 31% 23% 35% 36% 20% 15% 10% 15% 14% 5% 0% Overall Overall: Depression Overall: Anxiety Male: MHP Female: MHP MH Diagnosis Figure 2. Percentage rates of diagnosis of mental health problems (MHPs) in the retail sector and panel data. Work as a contributing factor With regards to work as a contributing factor to poor mental health in the retail sector, over half of employees say their mental health problems have been related to work, particularly for psychological and behavioural symptoms and 14% of employees are currently experiencing poor or very poor mental health (Figure 3). Over one third of employees alone have experienced symptoms of poor mental health related to work in the last month alone, this is on par with the panel data. Business in the Community, The Prince s Responsible Business Network 5

6 Current experiences of MHP Physical symptoms related to work 33% 36% Behavioural symptoms related to work 40% 39% Psychological symptoms related to work 40% 42% Female: MHP related to work 57% 66% Male: MHP related to work 58% 67% MHP related to work 61% 62% Very/ Good MH 69% 69% Very/ Poor MH 14% 11% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% Percentage Figure 3. Current experiences of mental health at work in the retail sector and panel data. Although, considering age, contrary to the earlier findings, year olds are much less likely to say their poor mental health has been related to work in the last month, 24% compared to 40% in year olds. However, men are more likely to have experienced this in the last month (36% compared to 29% of women). 2. Disconnect between employer views and employee experiences CEOs, MDs and board members believe their organisation supports employees experiencing poor mental health, 42% higher rate than the panel data. This group along with year olds feel more confident discussing mental health with their line manager, whereas senior and middle managers are more reserved. This is possibly because more line managers aged have received mental health awareness training compared to other age groups. Line managers believe that the wellbeing of staff is their responsibility in the retail sector, however fewer male managers believe they know how their employees feel compared to female managers. The retail sector has a high awareness of mental health; however, employees and managers still experience barriers when it comes to talking about and supporting colleagues experiencing symptoms of poor mental health. Senior leader vs junior manager perceptions of organisational support Considerably more CEOs, MDs and board members in the retail sector believe their organisation supports employees who are experiencing symptoms of poor mental health at 85%, this is 42% higher than the panel data and almost double that of junior managers. Further year olds are 12% more likely than year olds to believe their organisation is supportive. Business in the Community, The Prince s Responsible Business Network 6

7 Group This shows that the senior leaders in this sector have a positive perception of the organisation whereas younger employees have a much more negative view. This is supports the finding that 100% of CEOs, MDs and board members would discuss mental health with their line manager, compared to 50% of senior managers and 66% of middle managers, as they may believe they will receive a more positive response. Additionally, year olds feel more confident discussing mental health with their line manager, 11% higher than the panel data (Figure 4) % 58% % 53% % 61% 30 to 39 48% 52% % 53% Overall 53% 51% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% Percentage Figure 4. Percentage of employees who would feel confident discussing their mental health with their line manager in the retail sector and panel data. Barriers to supporting those with mental health issues The majority of managers in this sector believe there are barriers to supporting the mental health of the employees they manage. The largest barrier is a lack of training for managers, followed by not having enough time for one-to-one management (Figure 5). Business in the Community, The Prince s Responsible Business Network 7

8 Percentage 15% 17% 21% 79% Overall presence of barriers Lack of training Not enough 1:1 time 22% 18% 21% 80% 32% Lack of supporting materials 26% 36% Requirement to achieve performance targets 32% Having other priorities at the time Figure 5. Barriers for supporting those with mental health problems in the retail sector.. Figure 6. Barriers for supporting those with mental health problems in the panel data An astounding 1% of year olds and 3% of year olds have received mental health awareness training, compared to 10% of year olds. This possibly accounts for the increased confidence in this age group to discuss mental health with their line manager. Further, 88% of line managers overall have not received training in mental health awareness in the retail sector, and this would equip them with the skills to support their staff more effectively (6% higher than the panel data) (Figure 7). 180% 160% 82% 82% 81% 140% 120% 100% 80% 60% 40% 20% 0% 88% 86% 89% Overall Male Female Group Figure 7. Percentage of managers who have not received any mental health awareness training. I would not be able to tell if they had a mental health problem Line manager respondent, Sector Business in the Community, The Prince s Responsible Business Network 8

9 The lack of training and one-to-one time may be related to the finding that only half of employees would feel confident talking to their line manager about a mental health problem they may be experiencing (Figure 4), consistent across gender and with the panel data. Despite this, 65% of male managers believe they know how their employees feel compared to 75% of female managers and (56%) and (67%) year olds feel the least confident in their awareness of employee s feelings. This means, managers cannot truly how know how their employees are feeling and whether the organisation is supportive or not. This demonstrates a huge disconnect between the management and the employees. Responsibility lies with the line manager Managers in the retail sector know that wellbeing is their responsibility, this is fairly consistent across seniority level with the exception that middle managers are 13% more likely than CEOs, MDs and board and 18% more likely than senior managers to believe it is their responsibility. The priority for my organisation is to maximise profits. Line manager respondent, Sector Leading on from the findings that males experience higher levels of mental health problems, likelihood of attributing their symptoms of poor mental health to work and fewer male managers knowing how their employees are feeling; male managers in retail are less likely to believe wellbeing of staff is their responsibility than women (77% compared to 83%). However, male managers are much less likely to feel obliged to put corporate interests before the wellbeing of colleagues, 63% compared to 72% of women. This shows that men would like to put the wellbeing of their employees first, despite believing it is not their responsibility. This is possibly due to the increased experiences of symptoms of poor mental health in this group in the retail sector. These results show there is a clear disconnect between intent and reality of managers being able to support their employees. 3. Pervasive culture of silence Women and year olds are more likely to discuss mental health at work as well as CEOs, MDs and board members compared to senior and middle managers year olds are most likely to help a colleague suffering with a mental health issue and to approach their line manager for help with a mental health problem. However most employees in retail would prefer to seek help from outside of the organisation, such as from their GP, family members or friends. Leaders in the organisation believe the culture is open and supportive, and often do exhibit these behaviours themselves. 90% of CEOs, MDs and board members will discuss mental health at work compared to 40% of senior managers and 50% of middle managers (Figure 8). Consistent with the earlier findings, women are 10% more likely to discuss mental health at work than men and year olds are most comfortable to discuss this (54%) compared to 45% of year olds. This possibly reflects the training/ lack of training these groups have received. Business in the Community, The Prince s Responsible Business Network 9

10 Group Junior manager / supervisor 64% 52% Middle manager 66% 52% Other senior manager or director below board level 50% 61% Owner / CEO / MD / Board 100% 69% Overall 53% 51% 0% 50% 100% 150% 200% Percentage Figure 8. Percentage of managers who feel confident to discuss mental health issues with their line manager in the retail sector and panel data Generally, employees in the retail sector are less likely to discuss mental health at work than other diversity topics (age, physical health, gender, stress, disability, race, religion and sexual orientation), i.e. 49% compared to 69% who would discuss age at work or 62% who would discuss physical conditions. This shows a clear culture of silence in this sector, particularly with men and the year olds. Lack of confidence to help a colleague Employees in finance do not feel confident to help a colleague who may be showing signs of poor mental health; 85% of employees would think twice before offering help to support a colleague and the main reason given was not wanting to interfere, followed by not being sure how to start the conversation. This reflects the lack of training employees in the retail sector have received. I would not approach a member of staff that may be experiencing a mental health problem as I know senior management and HR would not help them or myself Line manager respondent, Sector Considering year olds are comfortable talking about mental health at work, this ties in with the finding that they are the most likely age group to help a colleague (Figure 9). This is compared to almost 100% of year olds who would hesitate to offer to help a colleague. Business in the Community, The Prince s Responsible Business Network 10

11 Percentage Percentage 100% 90% 85% 86% 96% 93% 91% 88% 85% 89% 84% 82% 81% 80% 75% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Overall to Group Figure 9. Percentage of employees who would hesitate to offer colleagues help with their MHPs in the retail sector and panel data. Employees would prefer to seek help from outside of the organisation If employees were to seek support for their mental health problem, only 13% would go to their line manager (consistent across gender), 5% lower than the panel data (Figure 10) year olds and year olds are most likely to approach their line manager for help with a mental health problem (17% and 16%) compared to 5% of year olds. 20% more middle managers would seek support from their line manager compared to senior managers. 60% 50% 40% 18% 30% 20% 10% 0% 17% 24% 13% 13% 33% 20% 18% Overall Senior Managers Middle manager Junior manager / supervisor Group Figure 10. Percentage of managers who would seek support from their line manager when experiencing a mental health problem. Employees generally would prefer to seek help from outside of the organisation, such as from their GP (66%), family members (45%) or friends (37%). It appears that line managers are not approachable when it Business in the Community, The Prince s Responsible Business Network 11

12 Percentage comes to mental health problems in the retail sector, greater education, awareness and time for one to one s would improve this situation. 4. Important role of line managers Over double the number of women report that their staff have experienced mental health issues in the last month and most line managers believed they handled this experience well. Men are likely to seek advice from their own manager compared to women and CEOs, MDs and board members are considerably more likely to seek advice from external sources when helping a staff with a mental health issue year olds are least likely to seek help from their own manager in this situation, contradicting the earlier finding showing that this age group is most likely to talk to their line manager about their own mental health problem. Managers in the retail sector are aware that their actions can impact the wellbeing of their employees (78% strongly/ agree ), particularly women, and year olds (Figure 11). This lack of awareness amongst men and the other age groups reflects the need for mental health training. 180% 160% 140% 120% 100% 76% 78% 81% 74% 78% 72% 80% 60% 40% 20% 71% 86% 90% 73% 83% 64% 0% Male Female years 30 to 39 years years years Group Figure 11. Percentage of employees who aware that their actions can impact the wellbeing of their employees in the retail and panel data. Despite this, only half of managers in the retail sector have reported managing a member of staff experiencing a mental health problem, this is consistent across age but men are even less likely to report this compared to women. Over double the number of women than men say that their staff have experienced poor mental health in the last month alone (11% of men compared to 23% of women). However, only 16% of year olds report this compared to 26% of year olds. Positively, 79% of managers (84% of men and 75% of women) believed they handled this experience well. Managers are proactive when helping their employees Most managers take steps to help the individual (85%), which is most likely in the form of having time off work and having support with workload (Figure 12). I was able to provide guidance to my colleague and helped with arrangements for doctor s appointments and time off, the employee is still working with us and really appreciated the support they received. Business in the Community, The Prince s Responsible Business Network 12

13 Line manager respondent, Sector Middle managers in particular are likely to offer periods of time off work and senior managers are most likely to offer support with workload (100% compared to 34% of CEOs, MDs and board members and 53% of middle and junior managers). 24% 36% 15% Time off work 49% 50% Support with workload Signposting Referred for counselling No action 29% 30% 13% 38% 35% Figure 12. Action taken to help an individual showing symptoms of poor mental health in the retail sector Figure 13. Action taken to help an individual showing symptoms of poor mental health in the panel sector I listened to the individual and asked them how I could help. I asked them what they could do to help themselves and I took time to recognise them and their issues. Line manager respondent, Sector When a problem is presented, line managers themselves seek advice in their decisions. This is most commonly from their own line manager (36%), someone in HR (27%) or another colleague (26%). Men in particular are likely to seek advice from their own manager compared to women (40% compared to 31% in females). This is surprising considering men are less likely to discuss mental health at work. However, some employees would prefer to seek help from outside of the organisation, for example 66% of CEOs, MDs and board members would seek help from an external source compared to 25% of senior managers 14% of middle managers and 20% of junior managers. Managers in the retail sector feel confident in recognising the signs of poor mental health, particularly female managers women, possibly due to their increased confidence in discussing mental health (Figure 14). This shows more training is needed targeted at male line managers. Business in the Community, The Prince s Responsible Business Network 13

14 Percentage 90% 80% 77% 73% 70% 60% 65% 64% 55% 58% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Overall Male Female Group Figure 14. Managers who are very/ quite confident in recognising the signs of mental health problems in the retail and panel data. Line manager experience of the workplace often does not align with the experience of the people they manage, with 28% of employees believing their line manager does not care about their wellbeing, and only 45% believe their manager is fairly considerate. With the fact that the majority of CEOs, MDs and board members believe their organisation supports employees, this does not align with this employee experience. 5. Responding to employees More than half of employees in retail reported that no action was taken by the employer after expressing a mental health issue. This figure rises for and year olds, as well as CEOs, MDs and board members. Employees would have preferred more help with their workload, instead they were given periods of time off work and received disciplinary action. In an employee s experience of disclosing their mental health issue, 14% were given periods of time off work and 8% received disciplinary action, the second most common response. After disclosing my mental health problem, I received disciplinary action for my increased absence. Line manager respondent, Sector Additionally, more than half (57%) of employees in this sector reported that no action was taken after expressing their issue, rising to 74% for year olds and 67% in year olds. 78% of CEOs, MDs and board members, compared to 55% in junior managers have also received no action from their employer when expressing their symptoms of poor mental health. However, employees would have preferred more help with their workload (29%) and 15% would have liked time off work. These are in line with the earlier finding of the most common actions given, with the exception of disciplinary action being over-prescribed. In the employee s opinion, less than half (36%) believe the organisation supports employees who experience mental health issues very/fairly well. Access to workplace services and facilities, including Business in the Community, The Prince s Responsible Business Network 14

15 Employee Assistance Programmes (EAP), is still limited, only 19% report having access to it in this sector and 2% of employees sought help from an EAP when experiencing symptoms of poor mental health. Conclusion We undertook this research insight to understand the reality of how mental health is experienced in the retail sector. There is a greater need to create a parity of support between what the employee would like to see and what is actually happening. There is lack of confidence to spot the signs of poor mental health, evident from the lack of training as well as a clear culture of silence amongst all employees. Male employees and those aged would like to support colleagues better with mental health but feel uncomfortable discussing this in the workplace. sector businesses need to create targeted campaigns and initiatives for specifically men and year olds, as these groups appear to have the highest rates of diagnosed mental health conditions and would benefit greatly from mental health awareness training. We know it will take time to achieve parity of mental and physical health in the workplace and we urge employers to take our three calls to action: 1. Talk: break the culture of silence that surrounds mental health by taking the Time to Change Employer s Pledge 2. Train: invest in basic mental health literacy for all employees and first aid training in mental health to support line manager capability 3. Take Action: close the gap by asking all staff about their experiences in order to identify the disconnects that exist in the organisation between what you have committed to and what your employees are experiencing Recommendations These calls to action alongside our recommendations will support employers to embed mental health into the organisation. These recommendations have been taken from the Mental Health at Work 2016 report and align to this research insight. We all have mental health: Sign the Time to Change Employer s Pledge to make a public commitment to tackle the culture of silence that surrounds mental health. Use the Business in the Community and Public Health England Mental Health Toolkit for Employers that supports all employers to take simple, positive actions to build a culture that champions good mental health Invest in providing employees with basic mental health literacy so they can spot the signs when they or a colleague may need help. Send a clear message of parity of esteem between mental and physical health to normalise conversations around mental health. Address the disconnect: Identify and remove any specific organisational barriers that restrict line managers from effectively managing and supporting individuals experiencing a mental health issue. Gather employee feedback using a range of informal and formal mechanisms to understand where your gaps exist, including annual and pulse surveys, focus groups, and various employee forums. Provide employees with a timeframe for when you will report back with findings and next steps to reinforce your commitment to change and encourage participation in feedback. Business in the Community, The Prince s Responsible Business Network 15

16 Acknowledge that a gap may exist in your own business between leadership perception of support for employee mental health, and reality of employees experience. Take action to identify the gaps and be clear that you are committed to resolving this. Take part in the free annual Britain s Healthiest Workplace, which provides both employer and employee feedback on health and wellbeing. The role of line managers: Train as many line managers as possible in first aid training in mental health and invest in improving their mental health literacy. Regularly communicate to line managers the support they can draw on when supporting colleagues. Use Business in the Community s Leading on Mental Wellbeing: transforming the role of line managers report to embed wellbeing and deliver a functioning framework that gives line managers the support they need to respond to and manage employee mental wellbeing. Introduce the concept of everyday wellbeing as a core part of all and/or personal development conversations. This will help to normalise conversations around mental wellbeing between staff Tackle the culture of silence: Normalise the conversation around mental health. Appoint volunteer wellbeing champions to be ambassadors, possibly senior leaders, who can lead by example, raise awareness and share information to promote positive messaging about mental health Work with change-makers, including key leaders, HR and other specialists, and wellbeing champions, to equip them with the confidence and knowledge to promote an open climate where discussion of mental health becomes normalised. Instil an understanding in every employee that everyone has a state of mental health as they do physical health. Use awareness campaigns regularly to communicate this message, such as Time to Talk Day, Mental Health Awareness Week and World Mental Health Day. Responding to employees: Take a preventative approach to creating a work environment that promotes mental wellbeing, by adopting Business in the Community s Workwell model, the HSE Management Standards and the NICE Workplace Health Management Standards. Include employees in discussions to develop flexible, bespoke solutions to their mental health support needs, i.e. reasonable adjustments and Wellness Action Plans HR and any additional specialist support functions should clearly outline the role they can play in supporting all employees, so that employees feel they have a safe space to discuss mental health. Ensure every employee has access to (and knows where to find) appropriate support to stay well and to help manage mental ill health. Reinforce this information regularly. Business in the Community, The Prince s Responsible Business Network 16