There appears to be a disconnect between organisations and their staff when it comes to perceptions of mental health care at work, according to research by Bupa.
More than twice as many employers than employees believe there are effective measures in place to help tackle mental health issues (80% compared to 30%).
Other worrying statistics from the report Breaking the Silence suggest more than half (60%) of people with mental health issues are unhappy in their current role specifically because of the way they have been treated.
Bullying is one of the most concerning issues, with 35% of leaders saying they have witnessed an employee being bullied because of their mental health.
One-to-ones with managers don’t appear to be used to address these workplace challenges. Almost half (49%) of employees claimed they have never been asked about stress, depression or anxiety in these sessions.
Bupa corporate director Patrick Watt told HR magazine employers need to make significant progress before they can “break down the walls of silence” that still surround mental health in the workplace.
“Businesses must take immediate action,” he said. “Managers need to be trained to spot the signs and know how to support employees to get the right help.”
Emma Mamo, head of workplace wellbeing at mental health charity Mind, added that Bupa’s findings echo her own organisation’s and show that mental health is still a taboo at work.
“Senior business leaders still hold some damaging views about the impact a mental health problem can have on somebody’s ability to carry out their role,” she said. “People with mental health problems can perform to a high standard and make a valuable contribution.”
