"There’s still work to be done, including introducing high-quality proactive measures to address and support workplace stress and overall mental health."
- Liz Walker, Chief Operating Officer at Unum UK
Of those surveyed (4,035), almost eight in ten employees said they’d be influenced to leave their current employment due to high levels of stress. Notably, stress ranked virtually on par with salary (78% vs 79%) as the primary reason that employees would resign from their role.
Furthermore, Unum UK found a concerning gap in employer support for mental health. Less than half (49%) of employees thought their organisation had the necessary services in place to effectively support mental health.
57% said that health & wellbeing benefits would positively influence their decision to remain with their current employer. Ergo, employers could improve talent retention by addressing these concerns from employees who’d be tempted to head to the exit over poorly managed workplace wellbeing. Likewise, employee benefits could reduce mental health-related absence, keeping people in work and supporting those returning to the workplace after a period of ill-health or injury.
According to the latest research commissioned by MetLife UK, 52% of the UK workforce took time off work or spent time away from their business due to ill-health or injury in January 2024.
READ MORE: Only 38% of employees received paid sick leave in January 2024
“Many employers have already recognised the need to support their staff as part of their wellbeing strategies. Indeed, data from Unum’s customer-focused app shows that anxiety, depression, and stress accounted for 76% of mental health appointments last year alone,” said Liz Walker, Chief Operating Officer at Unum UK.
She thought it was concerning to finds that, without adequate prevention & intervention in place, nearly 80% of the UK workforce would seek out new employment due to hight levels of stress. “To then discover that work-related stress, depression, and anxiety account for almost half of work-related sickness absence is far worse,” Liz exclaimed.
“By creating positive, supportive and inclusive working environments, employers can not only improve employee retention but also help foster a healthier, more engaged and productive workforce,” she concluded.
