Work is negatively impacting the mental health of three in five employees, research has revealed.
A survey by Reassured showed that for 14% of these respondents, their mental health gets worse over certain periods and holidays, including Christmas.
The research also highlighted that UK employees work an average of 36-plus hours a week and more than half (56%) do not believe they have a good work-life balance.
According to the life insurance broker’s study, when asked about leaving a previous role, work-life balance was identified as the second key reason, cited by 34% respondents, with poor pay being the top reason noted by 37% of workers.
The survey further found HR and recruitment staff have the worst work-life balance, with 15% reporting unhappiness, while more than half (58%) of those working in the media are likely to struggle this Christmas.
A total of 14% of those polled said they had to work overtime to fulfil work duties, resulting in them missing out on both social and family time, while 11% often cancelled personal plans due to work commitments.
Recruitment and HR were found to be the worst industries for work life balance overall,
Commenting on the survey, Phil Jeynes, director of corporate strategy at Reassured, said: “Our findings show more needs to be done to support employees with workload, and we encourage people to be more open about their work-life balance with their managers. Whilst a secure income is vital to protecting yourself and your family, wellbeing should always be a priority during your working life.”
Jen Wlodyka, senior operations and culture manager at Distinctly, added that workers could consider addressing any concerns, including those about their work-life balance, with their manager at any time, not just over Christmas.
She said: “The first thing to do when you feel like you have a poor work-life balance is to try to identify the problem. Find examples that you can bring to your manager so you can find a solution that will actually get to the root of the problem.
“Send your manager a message in advance of the meeting about your general concerns so they know what you’ll be discussing and can come prepared with ways to help you. Think about each of your responsibilities or projects and how much time you spend on them. You can also come prepared with potential solutions, such as how you can streamline workload, or if there is a case for hiring an additional employee.”
