A growing number of job seekers demonstrate a willingness to openly discuss mental health in the workplace. However, the question arises whether they might have to pay for this openness with their careers. According to a survey conducted among about 10 thousand people, employees are now fully prepared to discuss mental health issues.
This survey covered eight cities and 83 industries. It revealed that 61% of respondents are willing to openly talk about the need to take leave due to mental health. Nevertheless, 33% fear that discussing mental health in the office will negatively affect their career and deprive them of promotion opportunities.
Although such topics were not previously discussed openly, the survey results show that conversations about mental health in the office are becoming more common. Despite this, workers remain concerned about the reaction of their managers or the company to raising this topic.
World Mental Health Day is observed on October 10th to raise awareness about people's well-being and mental state. The survey also allowed researchers to find out what support employees expect from their offices and what prevents them from openly sharing their problems.
For 42% of participants, maintaining a balance between professional and personal life is difficult, which negatively affects their mental health. Furthermore, 27% believe that insufficient help from managers is the cause of the problems, while 20% point to pressure related to a large workload and deadlines. The study also found that the daily office experience influences employees' mental state, and the desire for a clear separation between work and private time is one of their main needs.
The greatest concern is the fear of losing one's career. As mentioned, 61% of respondents are willing to openly state their desire to take leave for mental health reasons. However, many feel anxious about the consequences of their disclosure. Approximately 33% fear that discussing mental health will lead to the loss of career opportunities. Additionally, 32% are afraid that their problems will be ignored, 19% worry that they will be seen as weak, and 16% fear that their personal difficulties will become the subject of office gossip.
When asked what companies could do to improve mental health, 53% suggested establishing clear boundaries between work and private life. 22% stated the need for manager training in recognizing signs of stress and burnout. Other demands included: 13% requested the possibility of taking separate mental health leave, and 12% requested expanded access to counseling services.