More than one-in-five Britons report that their working life has worsened throughout the pandemic

LifeWorks Mental Health Index™ reveals concerns about accessibility, confidentiality and cost as barriers to Britons leveraging employer-funded mental-health services

LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--LifeWorks, a leading provider of digital and in-person total wellbeing solutions, today released its monthly Mental Health Index™, revealing a negative mental-health score among Britons for the 20^th consecutive month.

Key findings:

• Overall mental-health score of -11.0 compared to the pre-pandemic benchmark, a slight decline from the previous month.
• More than one-in-five (21 per cent) Britons reported that their working life has worsened when compared to before the pandemic. This group has a mental-health score of -22.6.

Britons working exclusively at physical workplaces are reporting significantly worsened working lives:

• Twenty-two per cent of Britons working exclusively at physical workplaces reported that their working lives have worsened when compared to before the pandemic.
• Individuals working exclusively from home are more than twice as likely as individuals working exclusively at physical workplaces to report an improvement in their working lives.
• Individuals splitting their time between home and physical workplaces are nearly twice as likely to report an improvement in their working lives than individuals working exclusively at physical workplaces.

Comments from managing director, U.K. and Europe, Philip Mullen

“While the last 20 months have demonstrated that hybrid and flexible work models can be successful for many organisations, as we enter the next stage of the pandemic, it is vital for employers to remember that each employee continues to have different needs requiring tailored support. With ongoing changes to home life and work life, every individual is experiencing our pandemic reality differently and fostering an environment where support is prioritised at an individual level is critical to the success of organisations both big and small.”

Working Britons cite concerns about accessibility, confidentiality and cost as barriers to leveraging employer-funded mental-health services:

• Thirteen per cent of individuals indicate concerns about confidentiality as their reasoning for not leveraging employer-funded mental-health services. This group has a mental-health score of -25.5, more than 14 points below the national average.
• Twelve per cent of Britons indicate that they are not leveraging employer-funded mental-health services because they are unclear on how to access support. This group has a mental-health score of -20.3, more than nine points below the national average.
• Six per cent of individuals indicate concerns about cost as their reasoning for not leveraging employer-funded mental-health services. This group has a mental-health score of -24.5, more than 13 points below the national average.

Comments from global leader and senior vice president, research and total wellbeing, Paula Allen

“Mental-health services provided by employers are only as effective as employees’ understanding and abilitiy to access them, and as many individuals continue to struggle behind closed doors, ensuring clarity on the availability of employee wellbeing support is critical. Proactive and ongoing communication has never been more important to ensure that employees feel supported and empowered to take the next step in seeking the help they need.”

The full U.K. LifeWorks Mental Health Index™ report can be found here. This month, the report includes additional insights on the impact of the pandemic on personal lives, the correlation between emergency savings and mental health and more.

About the Mental Health Index™

The monthly survey by LifeWorks was conducted through an online survey from November 9 and 22, 2021, with 2,000 respondents in the United Kingdom. All respondents reside in the United Kingdom and were employed within the last six months. The data has been statistically weighted to ensure the regional and gender composition of the sample reflect this population. The Mental Health Index™ is published monthly, beginning April 2020, and compares against benchmark data collected in 2017, 2018, 2019.

About LifeWorks

LifeWorks is a world leader in providing digital and in-person solutions that support the total wellbeing of individuals. We deliver a personalized continuum of care that helps our clients improve the lives of their people and by doing so, improve their business.

ID-CORP, ID-MH, ID-UK