Survey by independent job site CV-Library found 60.2% of employees would not reveal their mental health problems to their employer and 60.8% said they would not even speak to their line manager. Tony McDonough reports

A new survey shows there is still a major stigma around mental health in the workplace with more than 60% of workers unwilling to discuss issues with their employers.

A survey by independent job site CV-Library found 60.2% of employees would not reveal their mental health problems to their employer and 60.8% said they would not even speak to their line manager about it.

The research explored the views of 1,200 UK workers and found that a third of professionals (31.7%) feel that their workplace is not supportive of mental health, with a further 77.8% believing that the majority of workplaces in the UK are unsupportive.

Other key findings from the research include:

• Nearly two thirds (64.2%) of workers fear their employer would judge them† if they spoke about their mental health issues, with a further 46.8% worrying that †doing so will make them look weak
• One third (36.7%) †fear that they would get fired† if they told their boss about their mental health issues
• And 63% said that they †would feel guilty taking time off work for mental health reasons

Lee Biggins, founder and managing director of CV-Library, said: “Mental health in the workplace continues to be a hot topic, and this is because it is clearly not being dealt with effectively.

“We are a nation that is under more pressure than ever before and it’s therefore unsurprising that people will be feeling the effects whilst at work.

“Businesses should prioritise creating a culture where openness and honesty are encouraged. In turn, this will ensure that workers feel comfortable confiding in their boss, making coming to work that little bit less stressful.”

When asked what measures they thought employers should introduce to help combat mental health in the workplace, respondents cited the following:

• Promote a healthy work/life balance (38.6%)
• Create an environment where mental health is not stigmatised (15%)
• Refer employees to a counselling service (13.7%)
• Talk more openly about mental health (11.9%)
• Allow employees to take time out when they need to (8.6%)

In addition, 83.6% said that they think employers should offer ‘mental health days’, in which employees are encouraged to take time out to look after their health, with a further 78% stating that they would be more likely to work for a company that offered ‘mental health days’. 

To download CV-Library’s full report on mental health in the workplace click here.