More than 40% of workers in the UK feel their mental health is worse than it was a year ago, according to CV-Library.
While the independent job board found a total of 43% of the 1,300 workers it surveyed reporting feeling worse, the figure rose to 50% among women and dropped to 40% for men.
Not being able to find a job was the biggest concern for 57% of respondents, closely followed by experiencing financial difficulties (50%). Interestingly, it appears that workers are more concerned about the job and financial impact of the Covid-19 pandemic rather than the impact itself. Just over a third said they were concerned about the health and wellbeing of friends and family, with just 26% saying they were worried about the spread of the virus. Finally, concerns over not being able to leave home during lockdown was reported by just under 20%.
Interestingly, these worries remain the same across all genders and age groups with the exception of workers aged 35-44 years old, who felt that experiencing financial difficulties (54.5%) had the biggest impact on their mental health.
Lee Biggins, founder and CEO of CV-Library, said: “The last seven months has been filled with a great amount of uncertainty and it’s understandable that so many professionals feel their mental health is suffering. Businesses need to be aware of these challenges and ensure they’re offering support to employees who may be struggling.
“What’s more, it’s no surprise that worrying about finding a new job is one of the biggest concerns for UK workers, as many individuals have been made redundant and employment opportunities have been scarce. While the UK job market may take some time to fully recover, it’s important to remember that the situation is already improving. In fact, as time goes on, we’re seeing more job postings being added to our site every week.”
The study also reveals that a whopping 44% of employees feel their work-life balance is worse than a year ago with a further 61% stating working from home as the main reason for this.
What’s more, the data shows that professionals aged 25-34 years old are the most likely to blame home working (50%), followed by 35-54-year-old’s (40%) and 55-64-year-old’s (40%).
In addition to this, nearly three-quarters (73%) of the individuals surveyed admitted that they would look for a new job in order to secure a better work-life balance.
Biggins added: “The government has once again recommended that professionals should work from home where possible. While this may be good news for some, those who struggle to find a healthy work-life balance will be dreading the next few months.
“As an employer, you have a duty of care to keep your employees safe and to protect their mental health. It’s vital that you encourage team members to take regular breaks and to only work during their normal hours. You should also consider sharing resources and tips that can make working from home easier. This should enable your employees to safeguard their mental health, and hopefully prevent staff from looking for opportunities elsewhere.”
