Mental health at work: Under pressure and in silence

The survey "Closer to Yourself - Mental Health and Empathy at Work" was created on the initiative of the organizer of the "Closer to Yourself" campaign, ArteMis Group. It was carried out in late April and early May of this year on a nationwide sample of more than 1,500 people, among whom two groups were distinguished: employees and employers (decision-makers such as company owners, executives, directors, managers of organizational units). Its purpose was to identify mental health and empathy problems and needs in the work environment.

The survey was created to learn about the expectations, evaluations and attitudes of employees, but also of employers. This gives the working environment the knowledge it needs to do a better job of supporting employees' mental health. In light of the results, the slogan behind our campaign "Let's learn to talk about mental health" turns out to be correct. We can see that it is necessary to take active steps to make most, and preferably all, in the workplace feel psychologically safe and not afraid to talk openly about their well-being and mental condition," says Agata Swornowska-Kurto, CEO of ArteMis Group, the originator and organizer of the "Closer to You" campaign.

Our professional daily life

When it comes to mental well-being, self-awareness, or understanding one's own emotional states and the needs behind them, is key. The survey found that 41% of employees and 31% of employers feel emotionally overloaded, and stress is a professional daily occurrence for 37% of employees and 38% of employers. Only 2% of respondents in both groups surveyed never feel stress while at work.

Both employees and employers consider the following to be the main psychological difficulties perceived in co-workers: job burnout (according to 50% of employees and 38% of employers) and mental exhaustion (according to 44% of employees and 45% of employers).

86% of employees and 73% of employers agree with the statement that "work has a major impact on employees' mental health," and among the factors that promote the attitude and development of mental and emotional problems at work are "time pressure and work pace (according to 45% of employees and 35% of employers) and "excessive stress."

At the same time, the opposite impact is also recognized - according to 81% of employees and 70% of employers, "mental health has an impact on an employee's absence from work."

Psychologically safe workplace

In the "Closer to Yourself" campaign, we talk a lot about the importance of creating psychologically safe workplaces, that is, workplaces where you can talk openly and without fear of being ridiculed or punished about your well-being, express your opinion, question, admit when you are wrong, and share ideas.

According to respondents, the key factors for building a psychologically safe workplace are an empathetic attitude from leaders and supervisors, as well as the opportunity to openly express one's opinion, including a critical one, about working conditions.

76% of employees and 70% of employers believe that companies should create a work environment in which an employee is not afraid to talk openly about his or her mental health.

At the same time, it is worth noting that 41% of employees are afraid to speak openly about the deterioration of their mental condition. 1/4 of employees believe that in their workplace, people with mental problems are stigmatized (26%) and pushed away from the team (24%), and 66% of employees believe that the mental condition of employees is marginalized by the employer.

The results show that we still have a lot of work to do in the work environment when it comes to mental health care. Fortunately, many companies, as exemplified by the partners of the "Closer to You" campaign, are actively organizing support, but it is really crucial that employees want and are able to use this support. And in the case of such a sensitive topic as mental health, they will only want to, feeling psychologically safe and at ease," comments Agata Swornowska-Kurto.

Empathy in the workplace

An important issue addressed by the "Closer to You" campaign is empathy in the workplace, i.e. attentiveness to the other person, to his or her well-being, emotions and underlying needs.

It is therefore encouraging that the majority of respondents in both groups agree that empathy is needed in the workplace (according to 84% of employees and 71% of employers), and see space in the workplace for: "being attentive to people" (according to 63% of employees and 55% of employers) and "being empathetic" (62% and 63%, respectively).

However, it is disturbing that the overall level of empathy in their workplace was reported as "good" or "very good" by only 36% of employees (56% of employers), and 43% of employees have never been asked by a supervisor how they feel. Only 24% of employees hear such a question regularly.

Meanwhile, it is "attentive listening to employees" that is indicated as the main competence of a good supervisor/leader, and the vast majority of employees and employers are of the opinion that "a manager/direct supervisor should be interested in the mental condition of employees" (74% and 66%, respectively).

Nowadays, empathy is considered one of the key leadership competencies necessary for success in management. That is why it is so important to introduce it in companies and to make empathetic leadership the norm, where a leader treats an employee first and foremost as a human being, with his or her problems, emotions and needs," says Agata Swornowska-Kurto, CEO of ArteMis Group, the originator and organizer of the "Closer to You" campaign. This is important, especially since more than half of employees recognize that an empathetic attitude of leaders and superiors is crucial to building a psychologically safe work environment, she adds.

What kind of workplace do we expect?

76% of employees believe that companies should introduce programs to support the mental well-being of employees, and 73% believe they should provide access to a psychologist. It is the health benefit in the form of consultations with psychotherapists and psychologists that most people point to as a measure to support the mental health and well-being of Employees.

At the same time, it is worth noting that 1/4 of employees (24%) and 30% of employers agree with the statement saying that "mental health is a personal matter for each employee and the company has nothing to do with it."

The report with the presentation of the full results and expert comments can be downloaded free of charge on the campaign website: blizejsiebie.info/report

Source: press mat.