Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) face doubt over whether their employees would openly discuss mental health concerns, according to a worldwide survey.
Mental health days are becoming increasingly common in Canadian workplaces, setting them apart from many other countries. However, the majority of employers in the UK, Ireland, New Zealand, and Australia do not offer or plan to introduce them in the next 12 months [1].
A survey involving 79,000 businesses across Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, and the UK revealed that around 1 in 10 workplaces globally plan to introduce mental health first aiders within the next year [2]. This move towards increased mental health support is encouraging, but it seems that awareness and utilisation of existing support mechanisms still pose challenges.
Over half of the leaders surveyed noticed more open discussions about mental health at work over the last 12 months. Yet, 76% of respondents say they are not fully confident that their employees would disclose mental health concerns [3]. This discrepancy has led Bertrand Stern-Gillet, CEO at HA Wisdom Wellbeing, to question why many leaders are not confident their employees would disclose mental health issues despite observing more open discussions and prioritization of work-life balance [4].
One of the key factors contributing to low utilization of Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) for mental health support is a lack of awareness or understanding among employees about how to access these services or what is available [5]. This is compounded by stigma and privacy concerns around seeking mental health support at work, which discourages use despite program availability [5].
Despite having EAPs in place, average use rates remain around 5%, despite evidence of positive effects on mental health [5]. Bertrand Stern-Gillet also questions if the measures being put in place by employers to help manage mental health in the workplace are actually being embedded into workplaces or just a tick-box exercise [4].
The UK is leading the way when it comes to mental health support in the workplace, but worryingly, 51% of respondents have no plans to introduce support measures such as mental health training, EAPs, or mental health first aiders to their workplace in the next twelve months [1].
Alan Price, Chief Operations Officer at Peninsula Group, stated that employers have a duty of care to safeguard employee wellbeing but often overlook their own mental health [6]. Some employees still perpetuate the stigma around mental health with comments such as "Mental health has become a bit of an excuse" and "Obsessing over mental health creates insecurity, fearfulness, and is also emasculating" [1].
Ireland and Canadian employers are the least confident that employees would discuss mental health issues with them [1]. Despite these low utilization rates, organizations recognize that EAPs contribute to reducing absenteeism, increasing productivity, improving work environment, and lowering turnover—highlighting a gap between program availability and actual engagement [1].
Addressing factors such as lack of awareness, stigma, unclear access, and cultural issues through better communication, destigmatization, and accessibility improvements is critical to increasing utilization of mental health support services in the workplace.
In light of the survey data, it's concerning that only a tenth of global workplaces plan to introduce mental health first aiders, despite the growing awareness of mental health-and-wellness issues in the workplace. Furthermore, the fact that three quarters of respondents aren't fully confident their employees would disclose mental health concerns indicates a need for improved workplace-wellness initiatives to address the stigma and promote open discussions about mental health.
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