05 May 2021

Wellbeing at work: The case for investing in organisational mental health

This report from Koa Health highlights the positive impact that HR managers have had on employee wellbeing over the past few months. Many were quick to mobilise at the onset of the pandemic, and have since pledged to increase investment in mental health tools once the pandemic is over. However, it also uncovered that over two fifths of HR managers agree that mental health is still not recognised as a cultural priority in their organisation.

Key findings

60% of HR managers surveyed reported seeing an increase in demand for mental health support from employees after lockdown started.
HR managers saw the highest increase in demand from employees aged 40- 55, an age group widely reported to be juggling the strains of remote working with home schooling.
HR managers in the UK and the US said that, on average, they invest more per head on mental health than they do for physical health.
As remote working continued to be the ‘new normal’ for many workers, over half of HR managers agreed that it was easier for an employee’s mental health to fall through the cracks as a result of the physical distance and lack of visibility.
Almost three in five (58%) HR managers surveyed agreed that employees didn’t necessarily feel comfortable sharing their mental health fears at work.
35% of Brits say going back to work in a traditional office environment will have a negative impact on their mental health and productivity.