Leaders being vulnerable will move the needle on employee wellbeing, says GBC

There’s still stigma around mental health at work.

Despite the progress made since the COVID-19 pandemic, 37% of individuals said that there was still stigma at work, and 15% said the situation is now worse than in 2020.

This is according to new research into 12,000 individuals across the world by the Global Business Collaboration for Better Workplace Mental Health (GBC).

The data shows that only 56% of people would tell their managers about their mental health challenges, and one in three would not disclose mental health as a reason for taking time off.

The issue is that 47% of those who did share their mental health struggles with their managers felt discriminated against a result – they were worried about confidentiality and privacy (38%), judgement or career penalties (one third).

This lack of psychological safety at work is therefore hiding the scale of the wellbeing problem facing employees.

In reality, GBC’s data found that half of those surveyed have experienced or are experiencing mental health challenges – nine in ten of them have felt one or more negative emotion at work, notably lack of interest, motivation and energy, which are signs of burnout.

One in three also struggled with productivity.

Of course, all of this is not just bad for employees, but also for their organizations.

Workers want (and need) their employers to step up and take actions to support them so they can thrive at work.

Almost three quarters (73%) of the people surveyed said they think it is very or extremely important for employers to prioritize of their mental health workforce.

Currently, just 56% thought their employers were doing a good job here.

The question that remains is how can employers fix this issue?

Leaders need to set the tone on wellbeing

Speaking exclusively to UNLEASH, GBC’s Chair Poppy Jaman OBE shares: “I am shocked at the scale of employees reporting discrimination after sharing their mental health challenges with their line managers.

“If employees cannot trust their line managers to be supportive, we will never be able to create mentally healthy workplaces where people feel safe in seeking help and empowered to be their best.”

This is why the GBC report calls on leaders to use their voices to create a supportive culture of open dialogue around mental health at work.

85% of those who work at organizations where senior leaders speaks about their mental health felt their employer cares about their wellbeing – this is compared to 31% of employees without open leadership.

74% would disclose their own mental health struggles to their managers if leaders were more open on mental health, compared to 41% in less psychologically safe organizations.

When leaders are more open and vulnerable, there is often more investment into wellbeing tools – as well as more uptake – as the stigma is broken.

But leaders and managers need training to make they feel comfortable opening up their own mental health, and also communicating with their teams about their wellbeing challenges.

Jaman concludes: “Having a manager who can hold supportive conversations about mental health can greatly improve people’s work experience.

“Therefore, employers should focus on ensuring all managers have tailored tools and training to support mental wellbeing and on promoting and rewarding the right leadership behaviors.”

Want to know how to truly turn this theory into reality? The GBC has a pledge that leaders can sign on behalf of their organizations, which commits them to making progress in wellbeing at work.

Currently 185 organizations in six continents have signed the pledge – here are some standout examples to follow: Bupa, Visa, Deloitte and Salesforce.