However, despite a growing awareness of the importance of happiness at work, many employees still struggle due to inconsistent support and a lack of genuine commitment from their organisations.
Leading psychotherapist Nathan Shearman, director of therapy and training at Red Umbrella, speaks ahead of International Week of Happiness at Work, highlighting the profound impact that workplace environments have on mental health.
The impact of inadequate support in the workplace
“We spend a huge portion of our lives at work,” begins Nathan. “If it’s an environment where we don’t feel supported or cared about, where we can’t be our authentic selves, or where our emotions don’t matter, then it can quickly become a source of negative thoughts and feelings.
“When employees’ issues aren’t met with support and understanding, they can easily feel like they’re not good enough, impacting self-worth and exacerbating existing mental health struggles.
“And because work can play such a prominent role in our lives, if employees who are experiencing mental health issues are encouraged and facilitated in accessing support, this can help them overcome any barriers to seeking help, having a positive effect on their lives overall."
Why are so many employees still unhappy at work?
“Happiness is tied into a number of factors, and it’s important to remember that happiness at work can also be impacted by factors outside of work. Having a safe and supportive workplace environment with a positive mental health culture can help to balance out issues outside of work, or at least provide some distraction from them.
“Part of the reason why many employees are unhappy at work is because support and understanding isn’t there, or it’s not consistent.
“Having a line manager that doesn’t understand that an employee’s performance might be down because they're experiencing stress or anxiety, and is giving them a hard time about not hitting targets as a result, is going to significantly affect their levels of happiness, compared to a line manager who shows empathy and asks what support they might need.
“Part of this comes down to training. Managers don’t always know how to respond to someone who is struggling. Even if they are naturally supportive and empathic, when faced with KPIs many managers don’t know how to be consistent in their approach and show good leadership skills around mental health, which is obviously facilitated by training.
“Studies show that the main thing that makes an employee happy at work is often whether they feel their company is supportive of them. Companies that put support in place like EAPs, training, and mental health initiatives, find that their workforce rate their happiness at work higher, compared to companies that offer no support, or just provide tick-box resources.”
Are employers still treating employee mental wellbeing as a tick-box exercise?
“Many organisations are becoming aware of the importance, and the ROI, of mental wellbeing initiatives, yet there are still many companies that will see it something to ‘be done’ rather than to be engaged with. So, they might train up mental health first aiders, but then don’t empower them to make a difference in the organisation. Or, they might pay for an EAP, but don’t encourage staff to utilise it or engage with it.
“Employees know the difference between a company paying lip service to mental wellbeing – the ones who do something for mental health awareness week, and then nothing the rest of the year – and those who truly care about making a difference. This leads to staff being disengaged from the company, less trustful and ultimately more likely to take their talents elsewhere.
“The best way for employers to get out of the mindset of mental health being a tick-box exercise is to really think about how it affects employees. What are the risk factors that could cause stress and poor mental health within your business? What support is going to be most beneficial for your teams?
“Good mental health training providers and EAPs will work with you to understand your business’ needs and objectives, and to help you tailor solutions to ultimately help make a tangible positive impact to your workforce.”