TORONTO, June 19,
2024 /CNW/ - New research from Peninsula Group shows
the impact that mental health is having on small and medium-sized
businesses.
The global HR, employment law and health & safety
consultancy surveyed 79,000 businesses across Australia, Canada, Ireland, New
Zealand, revealing a 140% increase year-on-year in
the number of employers struggling to manage poor mental health
across their workforce.
Alan Price, Peninsula Group Chief
Operations Officer, says, "Mental health is now the leading cause
of absence, with an estimated 17.1 million days lost to mental
health in the UK alone¹. We wanted to understand more the pressures
that SME owners are under, and the real life impact this epidemic
is having on businesses around the world.
"The Lancet Commission estimates that by 2030 the cost to global
business from mental health will reach $16 trillionᵌ. So, it's critical that employers
take this seriously. Healthy employees make for healthy workplaces,
so it's encouraging to see many employers are comfortable
discussing both their own and their employees' mental health. SMEs
around the world are under pressure like never before, and the
impact this has cannot be underestimated.
"With increased pressure on traditional health services, more
businesses are turning to EAPs to provide meaningful and immediate
support to their employees. With an average ROI of 10:1² they
are an affordable and financially viable way of offering meaningful
support. And it's good to see bosses leading from the front, with a
24% YoY increase in the number of employers using the
company EAP when they themselves are struggling.
"There is still work to be done to ensure that global workplaces
are healthy and happy, both physically and mentally, but it's clear
that progress is being made. The willingness of people to speak
about mental health concerns and a change in workplace attitude
towards them are major steps in the right direction."
Key findings include:
- A 30% increase in the number of employers experiencing
poor mental health.
- Canadian employers are three times more likely to take time
off work due to mental health than UK bosses; twice as likely
as Irish employers.
- Mental health related sickness absence increased 20% in
the last 12 months.
- Australia saw the biggest
increase YoY, with 43% more employers reporting increased
sickness absence than this time last year.
- 40% more employers offer support for mental
health.
- 1 in 5 UK SME owners and managers have experienced
mental health issues, compared to 1 in 10 last year.
- 63% increase in the number of SMEs with mental health
first aiders in place
- Employers in the UK and IRE are bucking the trend on
work/life balance, both countries saw a decrease in the number
citing it as a priority.
Mental health days
Our data found that Canadian and Kiwi employers are most likely
to offer mental health days in addition to personal leave
entitlement than any other. In comparison, 83% of employers in the
UK, 83% in Ireland, and 77% in
Australia do not offer mental
health days or plan to introduce them in the next 12 months.
Whilst 'duvet days' certainly generate headlines; most SMEs do
not believe that they are the answer to addressing mental health
concerns. And the results look a lot different when compared to how
much annual leave employees in each country get.
Workers in the UK are entitled to 5.6 weeks paid annual leave,
whereas in Canada the standard is
between 2-3 weeks. So, it's no surprise that Canadian employers are
almost 4 times as likely to offer additional mental health days on
top of this than UK employers.
Employers in New Zealand are
the most generous, with 20% offering mental health days in addition
to the four weeks' annual leave entitlement. Another 16% plan to
introduce them in the next 12 months.
Work/life balance.
The percentage of SME owners and managers prioritising work/life
balance fell in the both the UK and Ireland, as the drive to get people back into
the workplace full time continues. However, it rose by at least 50%
across Australia, Canada, and New
Zealand.
Employer support
Globally there was a 66% YoY increase in the number of
businesses who have introduced mental health first aiders to the
workplace, with Ireland seeing an
86% YoY increase.
40% of UK businesses have introduced more support measures and
20% have mental health first aiders in place – double that of all
the other countries surveyed.
Significant steps have also been taken in Canada and Australia. There was a 52% YoY increase in the
number of Australian businesses providing mental health first
aiders, and a 76% YoY increase in support measures across Canadian
workplaces.
Worryingly when people do speak out about their mental health, 1
in 3 of those who spoke to their boss said that nothing was done.
One respondent commented 'Whilst I am confident supporting
employees, I am not confident raising issues I personally have. As
a long-tenured manager, I feel my needs are overlooked/brushed
over, whilst support and adjustments are offered to younger
colleagues.'
Absence
Mental health related absence rose 21% globally over the last
year, including significant increases in both Canada and Australia. However, both the UK and
Ireland reported a decrease in
sickness absence year on year, a potential indicator of
presenteeism creeping back into the workplace.
Notes to editor
Full survey data and in-depth analysis is available to download,
please click here.
Method of survey
The survey was conducted from May
13th – 20th 2024 across Peninsula
Group's global client base.
Other resources
¹ Health and
safety statistics 2022 (hse.gov.uk)
|
² EAPA-ROI-Report-2023.pdf
|
ᵌ Lancet
Commission_policy brief_MHIN2.v3.pdf (mhinnovation.net)
|
www.healthassured.org/review-of-ha-2023-service-trends/
About Peninsula Group
Across the globe, Peninsula Group supports employers through
their toughest workplace challenges. Each day, small business
owners face hurdles of all different sizes. From HR to health &
safety, technology to tax advice, the Peninsula Group companies
have got you covered, providing familiar reassurance, expert
knowledge, and practical solutions to keep you compliant. It's how
more than 140,000 employers around the world reduce their legal
risk and free up more time for their business.
www.peninsulagroupglobal.com
SOURCE Peninsula Canada