Almost half of women say that work has negatively impacted their mental health, according to a nationwide survey by Nuffield Health.
The poll of more than 8,000 adults showed a disparity between the sexes, with 48% of women citing work as a cause of mental health problems, compared to 40% of men.
Women were also far less confident when it came to discussing these problems with their employer. While more than a third of men (34%) called in sick due to poor mental health and were happy to disclose this information, this applied to only 24% of women.
On top of this, Nuffield Health discovered 22% of women went into work more than 10 times when their mental health was poor, compared to just 16% of men.
Other recent studies have showed that less than half of women rated their current job satisfaction, motivation, and productivity as “good” post-pandemic while one in three women have considered downshifting or leaving the workforce altogether.
Nuffield Health mental health prevention lead Lisa Gunn said: “To prevent losing female talent, organisations must consider their workplaces’ practices to ensure they are supportive for females and fit for purpose.
“There’s no single reason why more women are struggling with poor mental health at work than men, but the way societal structures and gender norms interact could have a substantial impact on emotional wellbeing.
“Managers need to fundamentally rethink company structures to promote fairness and equal opportunities and prevent poor mental health and burnout for all employees”.
Nuffield Health has drawn up a list of ways in which employers can support mental health in the workplace, with a particular focus on women.
It says it is important employers notice early-signs of poor emotional wellbeing and take time to talk to employees to understand issues they may be facing, and so creating a culture of transparency and equality.
Nuffield adds employers need to acknowledge flexibility is key for both professional and personal growth – and points out that female employees often have additional domestic responsibilities, which can increase their mental load. It points out that even when women are the main breadwinners in a family, they are still more likely to be the ‘keepers’ of their children’s schedule, a fact that is often unacknowledged in the workplace. Gunn adds: “Your reputation as an inclusive employer won’t go far without offering flexibility, which can be offered to varying degrees to help women feel supported both professionally and in their personal lives”
In addition Nuffield says that it is important to have in place specific support for issues that particular affect women. Gunn added: “Responsible businesses should introduce maternity and menopause policies and workplace adjustments to protect their female employees from feeling discrimination. Once a policy is introduced organisations need to follow through on it. There’s no point in having a policy if no one knows it exists or where to go when they need support.”
