How anxiety is leading to employees shrinking back from responsibilities

A new study from JLA suggests 55% of UK employees have experienced ‘severe anxiety’ due to work in the past year. As a practical consequence, 39% admitted to actively avoiding taking on a leadership role in company meetings; 31% didn’t want to lead team meetings.

At the root of the issues is said to be ‘a lack of trust’ in employers. Only 16% said they believed they were receiving the right level of mental health support in the workplace. 

Judgement days

In spite of the range of initiatives and widespread discussion of mental health, research continues to show how employees believe their careers will be negatively affected.

A survey from Reed of more than 2,000 employees and job-seekers has claimed that around a quarter would not talk about mental health issues at work; 36% felt too exposed and vulnerable; 39% believed they would be judged negatively.

More than first aid

EAPA UK Chair, Karl Bennett said: “Anxiety typically destroys confidence, and that means real consequences both for people in their careers and for organisations themselves in terms of team working and performance. A culture where there’s a lack of openness, a sense of a lack of trust and understanding will always be damaging — whether they involve people dealing with issues of anxiety or not.

”The current trend of support for mental health first-aiders is important in terms of making sure employees feel they have someone they can talk to in the first instance, who can signpost them to other forms of help. But signals from research indicate that people aren’t always certain they can trust anyone in their workplace with such a sensitive and personal topic.

“And even more importantly, mental health first-aiders aren’t intended and aren’t equipped to do anything more than signpost. The foundation of trust is access to the kinds of professional, confidential support offered via an EAP.”

Why calling in sick is still a luxury

A survey among 2,000 UK employees across sectors by CIPHR suggests 64% of ‘in-person’ workers have gone into the workplace while feeling ill. (This compares with 38% of remote and hybrid employees).

More women (68% of in-person workers) are likely to have worked through illness compared with men (58%). And the issue seems to be most prevalent in the retail and hospitality sectors, where there may be fewer or more uncertain sick leave benefits (where levels are around 80%).

Making us ill

Why is this happening? The report authors point to an ongoing presenteeism — in spite of the lessons of the pandemic — where taking time off work, or working shorter hours, are still regarded as being evidence of ‘weakness’ or a lack of commitment. People are being forced to make choices between their physical health and their finances or reputation at work. In turn, that means a knock-on effect on mental health, through the stress off not being to take time off, from neglecting their wellbeing.

Taking on presenteeism

EAPA UK Chair, Karl Bennett said: “Presenteeism isn’t good for anyone, it’s just a cycle that leads to continual feelings of stress, poor productivity and lower levels of performance. Occasional time off can be necessary for securing wellbeing, protecting colleagues from the spread of illnesses, and making sure there’s a healthy culture in terms of attitudes to people as human beings.

“That’s what’s most important of all over time — making sure there is a culture of empathy and understanding, where people feel able to be themselves, including taking time off for sickness, and where everyone gets the benefits from healthy people being in work.

“Physical and mental ill-health is so often a connected cycle. And that’s why the professional advice of EAPs is so important in terms of breaking that cycle and helping people to move back onto a healthier course of things.”

Why the UK workforce is one of the least engaged in Europe

A Gallup survey points to hard evidence of what many in HR will already suspect: UK workers are just not feeling it when it comes to their workplace. 90% don’t feel “enthused”. And whatever cultural changes are happening in the modern world and attitudes to work, they are more negative in the UK than in most other countries in Europe.

The issue of disengagement and the need for urgent action is the subject of a planned People Management/Management Today webinar in September 2023, addressing topics such as the role of workplace planning and employee experience.

Mind the gap

According to the survey authors, the main cause behind workplace disengagement and feelings of “worry, stress and anger” is the “avalanche of negative news”: the cost-of-living crisis, the evidence of looming problems from climate change, the sight of the NHS becoming overwhelmed.

In other words, a sense of fatalism that is undermining our ability to feel positive and committed to an organisation and its goals. At the same time, say Gallup, staff aren’t necessarily looking for other roles, but staying in jobs due to fears over the impact of a recession.

Belonging together

EAPA UK Chair, Karl Bennett said: “At the heart of the problem of disengagement is mental wellbeing. More people are struggling to see a positive future, how their commitment and energy for work matters in a context of worsening insecurities and diminishing financial returns.

“In this situation, mental toughness and resilience are all-important. And employers can play a huge role in helping people improve their mental wellbeing, a sense of positivity around the future and their part in building a better future for themselves and the people they care about.

“It’s a positive cycle: employers who contribute to good mental health at work encourage a greater sense of belonging, of community and purpose, which in turn leads to more engagement and an important platform for mental wellbeing.”

Whatever happened to ‘good’ work?

Since 2019, growing numbers of employees see their relationship with their organisations as “transactional”, says the new CIPD Good Work Index. People are less enthusiastic, less likely to see their job as being useful. Instead they are just “doing it for the money”.

43% said their work was “transactional”, compared with 36% in 2019; 51% were willing to put extra time and effort into their role (down from 57%); 49% were “enthusiastic” about their work (down from 54%). 33% felt bored at work, 26% “sometimes” felt miserable, 21% “sometimes” felt lonely.

Poor work, poor health

25% of the employees surveyed by the CIPD believed that their work had led to poor mental health (a figure that rises to 35% among public sector workers).

Improving job quality needs to be an urgent priority, says the CIPD, halting what has become a “slow slide into mediocrity”. “Work can and should be good for us,” said CIPD research associate Jake Young, “It’s vital that the government and employers renew their commitment to good work as it’s fundamental to supporting individual wellbeing, fair society, productive organisations and a strong economy.”

Wellbeing at heart

EAPA UK Chair, Karl Bennett said: “Wellbeing should be at the heart of our ideas of good work. So when it comes to the design and re-design of job roles and looking at relationships between staff and their organisation, there needs to be attention to the impact on wellbeing, the part it plays in making people feel their employer is interested in them on a personal level.

“A real commitment to wellbeing — ensuring there is practical advice and support through a key service like an EAP — is an important way of encouraging feelings of belonging, of there being a community at work based around people and their daily ups and downs, not a machine.”

Is hybrid working bad for your wellbeing?

The Hybrid Working Nation research from the University of Nottingham has looked at the impact of new ways of working among 500 employees, the great majority of which have been remote or hybrid workers.

Of this group, 41% said they were “unhappy or depressed most or all of the time”. Issues with their work arrangements were most pronounced among younger employees. Scores for engagement among the under 20s were found to be 17% lower than the next 21-30 age bracket, and 18% lower than the 31-40 and 41-50 ranges. Responses from younger staff also pointed to lower levels of wellbeing.

Home alone

In response to the research findings, HR experts have argued for the renewed importance of having more time in the office. Younger employees were having more of a struggle with hybrid working because they’d had less time to establish connections with colleagues and their workplace in general; and they were less likely to have a separate, dedicated space in which to work — especially if they were still living at home.

The sense of isolation that comes with hybrid working on top of cost-of-living worries was causing a particular strain on younger staff with more fragile finances.

Early and targeted

EAPA UK Chair, Karl Bennett said: “The findings confirm what HR has suspected for some time, both that remote working isn’t for everyone, and that disconnection from the workplaces is hardest for younger and new staff to deal with.

“Practical arrangements for more regular time in the workplace, providing time for face-to-face meetings and social interaction will become increasingly important as part of the hybrid deal — but in itself won’t solve the knots of worries and issues faced by people. “Employers need to be making sure staff in general, but younger groups in particular, are aware of the support provided by EAPs, targeting their comms and publicity campaigns around those kinds of specific needs: making sure younger staff feel comfortable with speaking with an EAP about any sense of isolation or other nagging concerns, and doing so early before their wellbeing is affected in more serious ways.”

Is HR providing all the wrong benefits?

A global survey by Benefex suggests HR and reward professionals in the UK are getting it wrong on benefits provision. 13% of the UK staff surveyed believed that benefits closely aligned with their actual needs. 96% of HR and rewards said they had seen a change in employee attitudes and behaviours over the past year.

Only 23% of UK employees said their experience described their experience of benefits as ‘excellent’, compared with 60% in the US and 52% in India. Meanwhile, benefits continue to be seen as an important part of the employment deal and relationship. 55% of employees argued that benefits that were relevant to them would have a greater impact on their experience of work the anything else.

The cost-of-living effect

Worries about finances appear to be at the root of the shift in outlook. Benefits supporting financial wellbeing are now found to be the most valued: 65% of employee respondents, compared with 53% in 2022. People pointed in particular for the need for: life insurance, health screening, critical illness insurance, dental insurance, pension, private medical insurance, childcare vouchers and income protection.

The survey also found that 83% of HR and reward professionals recognise the need for better insight and analytics, tracking spend and take-up of particular benefits — but less than half use data to assess the impact of benefits on employee wellbeing.

The heart of benefits

EAPA UK chair, Karl Bennett said: “Specific needs around benefits will always keep on changing. During the Covid-19 pandemic, health and wellbeing was the urgent need. And now with the harsh impact on household finances from inflation and rising interest rates, the trend has swung towards any benefits that mean extra financial help in whatever form it comes.

“At the same time, HR and management need to keep in mind what’s working for their people. Any one financial benefit isn’t going to provide a solution either financial wellbeing or the bigger picture of related worries around health and relationships or dealing with debt. This why EAPs will always be the heart of any benefits offering.

“What’s needed is more targeted and pro-active communications that makes sure staff know the EAP isn’t just there for a crisis, but is a talking and advice service that is also important for helping to deal with concerns and issues about financial problems and their ripple of effects into people’s lives at an early stage.”

What happens if police no longer respond to mental health calls?

From this September, the Metropolitan Police will no longer attend situations relating to mental ill-health (unless there is a clear threat to life), allowing them to focus on crime.

The Met commissioner has argued that in London alone officers — untrained in dealing with mental health — are needing to spend time “babysitting” people between 500 and 600 times a month. They spend an average of 10 hours with each patient before they are sectioned under the Mental Health Act.

Back to the NHS

Mental health service leaders don’t believe the NHS is in a position to cope with any new responsibilities.  “I think it would be really, really dangerous if the police were just to unilaterally withdraw from attending mental health crisis calls right now,” said Former Inspector of Constabulary Zoe Billingham, now chair of NHS mental health services for Norfolk and Suffolk.

Sarah Hughes, chief executive of Mind, said: “I am not persuaded we have got enough in the system to tolerate a shift to this new approach. I think we’ve got a huge way to go before the system is working together on behalf of very distressed individuals.”

The need for options

EAPA UK Chair, Karl Bennett said: “The reason why police forces receive so many calls relating to mental health is because people just don’t know who to turn to. In a crisis it’s not clear who’s best placed to provide immediate support. NHS services can be difficult to access and involve long waiting times.

“This is why EAPs have seen such steep increases in demand, particularly when it comes to serious red flag cases and more demand for ongoing support from counselling. In this context, EAPs are increasingly valuable to employers and their staff, but can only ever be one part of the system of services.

“The sheer scale of the challenge around mental health needs to be acknowledged, looking at how services can best work together, the combination of EAPs, the NHS, the police and access to other professional expertise. The success of the Humberside Police initiative, Right Care, Right Person, is a good example of how this can work. Humberside uses a triage system, where calls relating to mental health are directed to professionals from Mind in the control room to make an initial assessment, similar to the role played by EAP helplines, and then directed to the most appropriate service. 1,100 hours of police time are said to be saved each month.”

Why we still can’t open up at work

Around 51% of employees feel uncomfortable about talking about their sensitive issues with anyone at work.

The research by Unmind suggests the most difficult topics to raise include personal finances (37%), grief (25%) and women’s health issues (23%). With all the debate of recent years, progress has been made when it comes to mental health — but 21% continue to feel there is a taboo around opening up about experiences of anxiety and depression.

Employees flagged the importance of being able to trust their employer. 68% said they needed to be able to open up about their issues, with 44% saying they would look to leave their current place of employment if it was unable to handle sensitive topics appropriately.

Fear of repercussions

There are still fears of implications. 36% worried they would be ‘judged’ by managers or colleagues; 24% thought being open could impact their career. When employees do speak up, they mostly go to their friends and peers at work (51%), 29% to line managers and just 18% to HR. Younger staff are more conscious of the need for support: 80% of under 34s said it was important they could open up about personal problems at work, compared with 53% among those aged over 55.

As a conclusion, the report authors point to the importance of trained wellbeing champions as a go-to resource for staff to talk: “Providing avenues for people to be open about their physical and mental health helps with employee engagement, productivity, retention and impacts the bottom line. When done correctly, peer-to-peer programmes like wellbeing champions help tackle stigma, better promote existing wellbeing resources, and drive grassroots cultural change.”

Mindful changes

EAPA UK chair, Karl Bennett said: “The reality is that whatever training people internally may have had around mental health or other sensitive topics, people just don’t feel able to share some personal issues. It’s a barrier — and a serious one when it means problems are hidden, bottled up, leading to the potential for far more difficult and ongoing psychological illness that can’t be supported internally.

“Employees need to be able open up from the start, without having to think about confidentiality or who’s going to mention something to who. Which is why an early chat with an EAP, some independent, confidential support, is so important.”

Is working from home bad for your health?

The numbers of employees now suffering from a long-term condition has hit a record high, says the Office for National Statistics: in the first quarter of 2023, 2.5 million employees were off sick with an ongoing condition.

In its report, the ONS has pointed to the figures as being driven by more people working from home, as well as problems being caused by a lack of access to NHS services.

Different at home

The two biggest causes in the rise are said to be musculoskeletal problems alongside a spike in “depression, bad nerves and anxiety”.

Rather than issues with desks and chairs and posture, the back and neck problems are believed to have been caused by a basic lack of movement: no commute involving walking, no going up and down stairs to meetings etc.

The increase in mental health problems has been most common among younger employees, perhaps less used to spending time on their own and needing the day-to-day support and social contact of being in a workplace.

Mindful changes

EAPA UK Chair, Karl Bennett said: “Right from the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic and the surge in remote working there were signals that being at home wasn’t for everyone. For many people it’s the most practical option and comes with advantages when it comes to looking after children or family members, or just for the sheer sense of freedom and not losing time in a car or on public transport.

“But we’re all different. Some personality types need the constant buzz and stimulation of a workplace for their health, to keep them motivated and active; others appreciate more quiet time, or at least more of a balance. Dealing with the issue of long-term absence involves making sure flexible working is backed up by flexible support and conversations, taking into account all the different characters and circumstances that people have at home. Good relationships and opportunities to talk are essential for making sure there are early interventions.”

Why we need neurodivergence-aware workplaces

Around one in six people are neurodivergent, they are hardwired to deal with the world differently, in how they think, process and respond to information and experiences differently: because of autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), dyslexia or dyspraxia.

Workplaces though have always been designed for the ‘neurotypical’. According to a CIPD study, only  7% of employers say they have attempted to make their organisation inclusive when it comes to neurodiversity. Rather than a kind of disability, neurodiversity has been found to be an important source of skills and talents that add to the mix in teams and leads to new thinking and ideas.

Mental health and neurodiversity

Founder member of GAIN Johnny Timpson OBE, former Disability and Access Ambassador in government, said: “A significant number of people – particularly women – have been diagnosed as having anxiety. But the root cause of that, in reality, can be the fact that they are actually neurodivergent with undiagnosed autism and/or ADHD…Neurodivergent people are often thought to be mainly male. This is far from the case. It’s just that women and girls are in many cases simply far better at masking.”

The pressure on staff to hide their neurodivergence, not talk about it, not let it affect their behaviours or reputation among colleagues, leads to stress and anxiety

Mindful changes

“Under the 2010 Equality Act, neurodivergence is considered as a form of disability, with the same conditions in terms of discrimination, said EAPA UK chair, Karl Bennett.

“There are simple ways in which HR can make sure they recognise the needs of different people. For example, GAIN talks about the value of undertaking an audit to better understand how individual workplaces relate to cognitive diversity and experiences. Make adjustments such as providing alternatives to the typical noisy, open plan offices, avoid ‘loud’ colours, offer flexibility on working hours, avoid situations where staff are ‘put on the spot’ and providing thinking time.”