Over two-thirds of professionals in the UK are uncomfortable about requesting mental health leave, with about a quarter of those saying they would not even consider speaking up about their problem, polling data shows.
In the poll of 2,000 white-collar/desk job workers across the UK, conducted by specialist recruitment company Robert Walters in May, 67% of professionals said they feel uncomfortable requesting mental health leave from their employer. Of that 67%, 28% would not consider asking for leave, Robert Walters said in a news release.
“The discomfort professionals experience when approaching employers and senior leaders about mental health leave points to larger issues of inadequate support or awareness of mental health in the workplace – further triggering increased levels of ‘presenteeism’ and even potentially snowballing into bigger issues which end in doctor-prescribed sicknotes and extended time-off,” Coral Bamgboye, group head of TA (talent acquisition) and employee experience at Robert Walters, said in an email.
The Robert Walters data was released less than two months after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced plans to review the UK’s fit note system to move people off benefits and back to work. The review comes after NHS data showed almost 11 million fit notes were issued in 2023, with 94% describing the person as “not fit to work.”
Many of those notes were issued due to mental health issues, Sunak said. The latest figures from the Office for National Statistics suggest 2.8 million people are “economically inactive” due to long-term sickness, a near-record high, the release from Sunak’s office said. Of those inactive due to long-term sickness at the start of 2023, 53% reported that they had depression, bad nerves, or anxiety.
The seeming discrepancy between the NHS data and the Robert Walters data could indicate more employees are struggling than the government knows, Bamgboye said.
“What’s concerning is our research found that there [are] a significant [number] of professionals too afraid to speak up on their mental health, yet official figures highlight a record high of people off due to mental-health related issues — which should make workplaces question, is the problem even bigger than the current picture paints?” she said.
Employees work despite poor mental health
Of those surveyed by Robert Walters, 49% said they work regardless of whether they are experiencing poor mental health, a situation described as “presenteeism.”
“The more professionals carry-on working despite experiencing poor mental health, due to impending deadlines or worries of falling behind, the more susceptible they are to having to take extended time off further down the line for issues which have since become unmanageable,” Bamgboye said.
Less than 10% state they would automatically call in sick, the data showed. And 62% of professionals think they are now taking less time off than 12 months ago.
Half of respondents said their employer had a clear mental health policy, and 26% were unsure if such a policy existed.
“Companies without a clear mental health policy won’t be able to provide their workforce with a central point of information, support and understanding of resources available to them, creating a culture of silence when it comes to important issues like mental health leave,” Bamgboye said.
Bamgboye recommends that companies have a clear mental health policy and ensure that all employees know how to access it. She also recommends that companies train managers and senior leaders to be aware of the importance of open conversations about mental health.
— To comment on this article or to suggest an idea for another article, contact Martha Waggoner at Martha.Waggoner@aicpa-cima.com.
