Employee wellbeing has been thrust to the forefront in the last two years in a way that has never happened before. A report from Champion Health has brought together their employee wellbeing statistics, collected anonymously over the past 12 months, into one overall report.
The report found that employee mental health continues to be tested in new and challenging ways, with both employees and HR having to navigate their way through an unpredictable and fast-changing world.
The effects of this are clear. Across the board, employees experiencing symptoms of anxiety and depression remain high, with nearly 60% of employees feeling anxious and just over half feeling low in mood. These figures are similar to those published in Champion’s previous data release in January 2021.
And whilst most employees didn’t report a current mental health diagnosis, nearly 1 in 4 met the criteria for ‘clinically relevant symptoms’ of anxiety and depression, suggesting they would benefit from further assessment and support from a qualified mental health professional.
Despite the best efforts of organisations, the data suggests that many employees are still struggling. Whilst this might not be solely due to factors at work, the effects are certainly felt in the workplace. Poor mental health is cited as a factor that impacts productivity for 1 in 5 employees, contributing to costly levels of presenteeism, on both a personal and business level.
Key findings were: –
- Tiredness is a significant barrier to productivity. Over half of employees surveyed feel fatigued, with the most common health issue impacting productivity being tiredness.
- Younger employees are struggling. Employees between the ages of 25-34 are being disproportionately affected by anxiety, depression and financial pressure.
- Male employees are still reluctant to seek help. Female employees are three times more likely to seek mental health support than male employees.
- Poor MSK health is a rising problem. More than half of employees are currently experiencing MSK pain, with the majority being either home or hybrid workers.
- Employees are motivated to make a change. 94% of employees are motivated to make a change to their wellbeing, with energy levels being the most common area of focus.
To see the full report from Champion Health click here.