1 in 6 experience mental health challenges at work 🤡
The erosion of boundaries between work and personal gives rise to a number of phenomena that have a negative business impact. These include:
-
Presenteeism: Employees attending work despite being unwell or experiencing poor mental health
-
Absenteeism: Absence from work due to mental health conditions
-
Retention: The costs associated with replacing staff who leave their jobs for mental health-related reasons
|
|
|
Though, of course, the most severe impact is felt by the employee.
In light of the pandemic, a significant 81% of organisations have intensified their commitment to employee mental health. Despite these efforts, 1 in 3 workers feel that the mental health support at their workplace falls short of expectations.
While it’s generally accepted and expected for employees to take necessary time off for physical ailments or injuries, it’s perhaps surprising to learn that, on average, individuals tend to take more days off to address mental health concerns, such as stress, depression, or anxiety, than for any other reason.
Source (top) Source (bottom)
|
|
|
Rishi Sunak scraps 🚮 mental health reforms
|
|
|
What reforms?
The King's Speech, which outlined the legislative agenda, notably omitted the promised Mental Health Bill, originally promised back in June 2022 to reform the outdated Mental Health Act of 1983. These reforms aimed to address pressing issues such as the unwarranted detention of individuals with autism in mental hospitals and the disproportionate detentions of Black individuals.
What's the significance of scrapping reforms?
At a time when concerns about unsafe care are being brought to light, it is unfathomable that these reforms were deprioritised, especially considering that 50,000 individuals were held under the outdated Mental Health Act just last year. Advocacy groups assert that scrapping the reform bill shatters trust and disregards individuals' rights and dignity.
As an Approved Mental Health professional tasked with making decisions based on two medical recommendations, the Mental Health Act is a piece of legislation that needs to catch up to the 21st century. The notable absence of any mention of it in the King's Speech seems like a concerning regression in terms of priority. How can we, as a nation, claim to prioritise mental health when the foundational legislation has remained unchanged for nearly two decades?
|
|
|
Employers must proactively recognise and address the prevalence and impact of mental health challenges in the workplace. By fostering an environment that supports mental well-being, businesses contribute positively to their employees' lives and enhance the organisation's overall productivity and economic stability.
I have witnessed the transition from a lacklustre response to the mental health needs of a workforce to the mobilising efforts companies now undertake to provide comprehensive mental health support. That's precisely why I founded Happiworkers - a culturally sensitive, holistic, and personalised tech solution designed to democratise all employees' mental health access. We are uniquely positioned to address the interlocking issues of staff performance, development, and employee well-being.
|
|
|
|
What barriers?
There is a significant underrepresentation of black academics in the UK, particularly at senior levels. Surprisingly, there is limited research into the exclusion of black academics despite extensive studies on the underrepresentation of women.
Black women in academia face unique barriers, including a lack of senior mentors, unsuitable supervision, emotional labour, and financial challenges.
 
Source (left) Source (right)
What can we do?
Support groups like the Black Researchers' Forum offer a sense of community and actively promote black scholarship, yet broader cultural changes within academia are still imperative. Even with pledges to decolonise curriculums, genuine transformation requires a deep examination of entrenched cultural norms and power dynamics that sustain this racial imbalance at senior levels.
Structural change is urgently needed to diversify academia, ensure supervisors are versed in black scholarship and examine embedded power dynamics. Institutions must make space for black voices and perspectives that enrich research. With more black researchers, we gain invaluable new insights. But black academics should not have to overcome so many barriers alone. We all have a role in removing obstacles and fostering an inclusive academic culture.
|
|
|
A huge thank you to Ngozi Cadmus for curating this issue of Diversity Lens ❤️
What did you think of this issue? Let us know!
Click the icons below to keep tabs on Ngozi and her work.
|
|
|
|
