Job loss fears making workers less open about mental health
4 November 2020
• ‘Furlough envy’, isolation and additional home stresses have triggered deteriorations in workplace mental health, new study suggests
• Workers less likely to talk to managers about experiencing mental health problems since lockdown, fearing ‘repercussions’
• Study highlights need to raise awareness among employers of resources available to support mental health
Workers have become less open about their mental health struggles since the coronavirus outbreak because of fears they could lose their jobs if they speak up, new research suggests.
The findings from the Enterprise Research Centre, based on in-depth interviews with managers in UK firms over the summer, also show workplaces have become divided by how different staff have been treated since March – with some saying ‘furlough envy’ had split teams.
