Throughout the pandemic, the issue of mental health has become more critical than ever across all parts of society.
Unfortunately, data has shown that since early 2020, mental health has declined—and has not yet shown signs of improvement.
The world of work is an essential factor in mental health. If employers want healthy, happy, and productive employees, they need to provide an environment that works for everyone.
In this context, we asked employees when their mental health is best at work. 28 percent said that it is best when working from home. 23 percent said it was better in the office. Only 22 percent said their mental health was best in a hybrid of home and office work. This was surprising, given that hybrid work was cited as the preferred mode of work overall.
From the research, we believe that this coincides with the fluctuating pandemic landscape and the varying standards of working models that employers currently offer. Flexibility will be a critical factor to improve employees’ mental health.
What emerged from the research is that employees are very conscious of the factors that affect their mental health, for better and for worse.
For example, when asked what improves their mental health in the physical workplace, nearly half of employees (48 percent) cited the opportunity to be around others. A third (33 percent) said that having a commute that separates work and home life is important, while the change in environment between work and home made a positive difference for another 30 percent.
28 percent said that their mental health is best when working from home.
Yet it is not all positive. There are essential elements that hold back mental wellbeing in the workplace, employees say:
Different parts of the workforce have different priorities and preferences. So the challenge for employers is not just to improve light levels, fresh air, and comfortable temperatures.
Instead, they also need to provide the flexibility to suit all employees’ needs and ensure every employee’s wellbeing.
Over a third of employees say hybrid working is their preferred work mode. Yet our research shows that, overall, productivity improves when employees are working from the office.
43 percent of employees say attending the physical workplace increases their productivity, while only 15 percent say that their productivity falls when in the office. Significantly, 42 percent say there is no impact at all.
Important factors that increase their productivity in the workplace stood out for employees. Nearly half (47 percent) say that the separation between work and life had a positive impact. 45 percent cite a better quality of light, while 44 percent say that a busy workplace with people in the building improves their productivity.
Nearly a third (31 percent) say an optimal temperature is an important factor. Employers should look to create a healthy and safe workplace to encourage productivity.
43 percent of employees say attending the physical workplace increases their productivity.
The working environment has an impact on employee productivity. Nevertheless, businesses can become more attractive to employees by reducing the impact of the workplace on the environment at large.
40 percent of employees say they would be more likely to apply to work at a company that proposed or adopted a net-zero strategy. Meanwhile, 41 percent said they would be more likely to stay at a company that proposed the same thing.
Our research confirms findings from other studies. One 2021 survey by IBM, which took the opinions of 14,000 consumers across nine countries, found that 71 percent of employees and those seeking employment believe environmentally friendly companies to be more attractive employers.
Meanwhile, younger generations appear to be more likely to choose their workplace based on their values. According to the 2021 Deloitte Millennial Survey, nearly half of employees under the age of 40 are more likely to work for companies that align with their personal ethics, including environmental issues.
40 percent of employees say they would be more likely to apply to work at a company that proposed or adopted a net-zero strategy.