WHAT’S NEW?
LONG HOURS, LOW PAY AND HIGH EXPECTATIONS TAKE THEIR
TOLL ON MENTAL WELLBEING New research from workforce management expert Quinyx reveals that the impact of coronavirus on jobs is compounding poor mental health among workers in the healthcare and social assistance sector. A pre-existing mental health issue among healthcare workers is being made worse as a result of the pandemic.
No time for ‘me-time’ in the healthcare industry
Of all those surveyed by Quinyx across the healthcare, retail, hospitality, transportation, shipping and warehousing sectors, healthcare workers reported the most issues around work- life balance and lack of flexibility. Typically, while on average, 28% of retail workers said that they had missed a major family milestone because of their job, this number was almost double within healthcare workers (41%). When asked if they missed out on personal time to relax, work out or look aſter their mental health, once again the difference was significant: 64% for health and social care employees, versus 48% in the transportation sector for example.
This tells us one thing: those taking care of others can’t take time to look aſter themselves.
Long hours and lack of appreciation led to a decline in mental health
Prior to the outbreak, 42% of deskless workers in healthcare said that their job negatively impacted their mental health in the past 12 months, versus 38% of all deskless workers surveyed. During the outbreak, more than half of deskless healthcare workers (54%) said that coronavirus has made this worse.
Before the crisis, when asked about the work-related factors to their poor mental health, these workers cited the pressure of long hours as one of the main reasons (49%). In the current
crisis, with a stretched national workforce, more than a quarter (26%) of polled health and social workers reported having to work over 40 hours a week – more than in any other industry surveyed by Quinyx.
Potential underlying anxieties around pay and expectations are also playing a role. Of the 42% reporting poor mental health before the outbreak, 42% cited low pay and 37% their managers’ expectations being too high.
Feeling valued: impact of the crisis
The research revealed that, prior to the pandemic, 53% of healthcare workers who felt that their job negatively impacted their mental health over the last 12 months did so because they felt that they were not appreciated for the work they do. During the pandemic, however, 72% of healthcare workers said that they were feeling valued by their employers.
What can employers do to help their workers?
While reducing the number of hours worked, or increasing wages may prove difficult, there are options for employers to help improve the wellbeing of their workers.
Optimised schedules, streamlined communication and openly rewarding and praising employees are easy to implement with the right tools within any organisation, and inevitably lead to a happier workforce, and a healthier business.
Daniel Holmberg, Sales Manager UK & International at Quinyx, said: “A relationship based on trust, where employees have a voice and employers work with them to build a model that works for all, and for the business, is the key to success. Allowing workers to have control over their schedules, to work flexibly, offering them the visibility to plan shiſts ahead and power over their own work-life balance, for example, would help greatly. Improved mental and physical wellbeing would, in turn, improve productivity, engagement and business efficiency.”
www.quinyx.com/survey
twitter.com/TomorrowsCare
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