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With the world now almost three years into the pandemic, new research revealed that poor mental health is a rising issue among Australian workers and employers.
Almost half the Australian workforce, or 46 per cent, said their work is suffering as a result of poor mental health, according to a recent report by ADP Research Institute.
The survey of almost 1,400 workers in Australia showed that the alarming figures rise to over half, or 56 per cent, among Millennial workers who are aged 25-34 years old.
Meanwhile, only 17 per cent or two in 10 of those identified to be within the age group of 55 years and over said that they are affected by poor mental health.
“It’s concerning to see the number of workers, and especially Millennial workers, struggling in Australia due to mental health issues,” said Kylie Baullo, the managing director for Australia and New Zealand at ADP.
But it’s not only Australia’s workforce that is feeling the mental strain from current working conditions that are having a negative flow-on effect on their work performance. The study also found that across the Asia-Pacific region, 56 per cent of workers said mental health issues are taking a toll on their work.
Interestingly, data also showed that a higher proportion of people working from home are experiencing poor mental health compared to their co-workers who are reporting to the workplace.
Around 55 per cent of people who are working remotely from home reported that mental health concerns were proving detrimental to their work compared to 36 per cent of their workplace colleagues.
Commenting on the findings, Ms Baullo stated that “it is important to note that workers may be struggling whether they are working from home or at the office — in this case, managers should be vigilant to ensure they are offering support no matter the working location”.
In addition, data showed that the frequent stress and burnout that many workers were already feeling before the pandemic was aggravated by the onset of the global health crisis.
Data showed that 70 per cent of surveyed employees in the country said that they now experience stress in their workplace setting at least once a week, up from 62 per cent recorded during the pre-pandemic in 2020.
Meanwhile, at least one in seven or 27 per cent of workers said they feel stressed four or more times a week.
The most common cause of stress cited by respondents is having increased responsibility as a result of the pandemic, with 45 per cent of workers crediting it as a major cause.
Other key sources of stress include the length of the working day (29 per cent), tech-related issues (27 per cent) and concerns over job security (27 per cent).
Citing other published studies, Ms Baullo said that uncertainty and disruptions caused by lockdowns, in addition to the looming threat of being infected with COVID-19, can increase the risk of mental health problems developing or being exacerbated.
According to a research conducted by the charity Mind, a third of adults and young people worldwide said their mental health has gotten much worse since March 2020.
“There are ongoing issues around the rising cost of living worldwide, and the demands placed on workers across industries is only rising. There are, however, a range of issues and factors [that] can lead to mental ill health,” Ms Baullo stated.
So how are employers addressing these mental health concerns?
Data showed that around 82 per cent of employers across Australia are being proactive about finding new ways to support the mental health of their workforce.
Some of the top initiatives being rolled out by firms to combat poor mental health among staff included: increased frequency of communication or check-ins with employees (33 per cent), allowing wellbeing days off (27 per cent), implementing employee assistance programs (23 per cent), and allowing staff to take additional breaks during the day (21 per cent).
Despite these workplace measures to bolster mental health, Ms Baullo underlined that the best way to alleviate the issue is to stem its causes.
“Unless the causes of poor mental health — whether it be personal or work-related, or both — are identified and dealt with, the impact of well-intentioned schemes could be undermined.
“Employers need to prioritise ways to boost workplace mental wellbeing, and remember that there is no one-size-fits-all approach,” Ms Baullo concluded.
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