One of the UK’s biggest online job sites, CV-Library, asked 2,000 UK white collar workers, including people in Liverpool, about their experiences of dealing with mental health in the workplace. Tony McDonough reports

More than a quarter of white collar workers in Liverpool are to afraid to tell their employer they are struggling with mental health issues, a new survey claims.

One of the UK’s biggest online job sites, CV-Library, asked 2,000 UK white collar workers, including people in Liverpool, about their experiences of dealing with mental health in the workplace.

It found that 26.7% of people in the city would not have the confidence to admit to their boss that they were having problems and, even more alarmingly, 33.6% claimed their boss wouldn’t care if they did. It comes just days after World Mental Health Day.

Almost four in ten (39.2%) workers in Liverpool believe their employer is unapproachable, while over a quarter (26.7%) fear they’d be judged unfairly if they told their boss about their concerns. In addition to the above, nearly a third (31.5%) of Liverpudlians say that they feel anxious about key aspects of their jobs, including:   

• Neglecting personal relationships because of work (41.6%) 
• The potential of being fired (38.9%)  
• Giving presentations (22.6%) 
• Asking for time off (20.8%) 
• Their boss (17.2%)  

Lee Biggins, founder and CEO of CV-Library, said: “When your mental health is suffering, it can feel like you have nobody to turn to, especially in a formal environment like the workplace. Take the opportunity this World Mental Health Day to start a dialogue with your employer or a trusted manager.  

“If your employer isn’t aware of your mental health problems, how can they help to ease your anxieties? When you arrange to meet with them, come prepared with a letter from your GP and an idea of what reasonable adjustments would help you.

“Hopefully this will speed up the process and you’ll soon see beneficial changes to your working environment. Poor mental health can take on many forms; whether it’s a drop in productivity, general detachment or burnout.

“Worrying is a part of life, but if it becomes persistent and interferes with your daily activity, it can sap your energy and make it hard to concentrate at work. Don’t delay talking to your boss, as they may be able to help out more than you think.”