Blue Monday: How Does It Feel?

Over three quarters of UK employees believe people in their place of work would not be comfortable discussing mental health in the workplace...

According to a Robert Walters whitepaper released today, Blue Monday, commonly dubbed the most depressing day of the year, workers cite the following reasons for their reticence to discuss mental health issues:

• anxiety of how they might be perceived by co-workers
• concerns over harm to their career prospects
• embarrassment
• fears they would not be trusted with more responsibility

Almost 80% of employees claim that management simply ‘making clear that mental health is a priority’ would be a highly effective strategy in removing the barrier to talking. However, this approach does not chime with managers, with only a third believing this would be effective. Surprisingly only half of employers in the UK have a mental health policy in place.

Chris Hickey, UK CEO at Robert Walters, states: “We have seen a shift in professionals wanting to know more about a prospective employer's approach towards mental health and wellbeing. However, many employees are finding this information difficult to come by, not helped by the fact that just 3% of companies mention their mental wellbeing strategies in job adverts."

According to the charity Mind, at least one in six workers experience common mental health problems, including anxiety and depression. However, there are small, simple steps you can take to look after yourself and make your workplace mentally healthier. Check them out here.