Branch Secretary : info@housingworkers.org.uk
  

Mental health issues top workers' lockdown concerns

A survey by Unite  has found that workers’ concerns about their mental health have increased dramatically since the lockdown began.

 

Proactive approach

 

As a result Unite is calling on employers to take a proactive approach to dealing with employees’ mental health challenges immediately as workers return to the workforce and begin to adjust to revised working conditions.

 

Unite surveyed 22,000 workplace activists and just under two thirds (65 per cent) of respondents recorded that they had to deal with an increase in members’ mental health concerns.

 

Other employment issues

 

This was followed by concerns over pregnancy, maternity, paternity, adoption and other family leave (40 per cent), employers or managers exploiting the isolation of individual members (33 per cent), bullying (26 per cent) and issues related to disability (24 per cent).

 

Unite understands mental health issues have been caused by a variety of different issues, including loneliness and isolation during the lockdown (especially if a worker is having to shield), excessive work pressures, financial concerns and fears about returning to work.

 

Guide for members

 

Unite has produced a mental health guide for members during the coronavirus pandemic and it believes that employers must take a proactive lead to monitor and protect workers’ mental health during the lockdown as workers prepare to return to work and while they readjust to the workplace.

 

Employers must carry out risk assessments with Unite’s involvement so that issues the survey identifies are dealt with transparently with measures to support their workforce during this pandemic, in the short, medium and long term.

 

Employers role

 

It is essential that employers understand what is causing the workers’ mental health issues and then provide specific assistance on issues such as debt and financial concerns or for more specific mental health matters assisting them to contact a specialist organisation such as Mind.

 

Key workers

 

Unite assistant general secretary Gail Cartmail said: “Unite members operate across many sectors. Many are key and frontline workers whose mental health may well have been affected when dealing with the challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

 “For workers who have been furloughed or working from home, problems of isolation, loneliness, concerns about debt and fears about returning to the workplace are all issues that affect workers’ mental health.

 

 “It is imperative that employers undertake risk assessments on workers’ mental health and implement the required actions to protect workers. We urge them to do this while actively encouraging and assisting workers to raise mental health concerns and then ensure they receive the help they need.

 

 “It is also crucial that employers understand that mental health issues will not disappear overnight and that additional awareness and assistance remains in place for the foreseeable future.”

 

Reckless employers

 

The survey also found that while the majority of respondents (65 per cent) reported that employers have behaved responsibly, nearly one in five (18 per cent) reported that their employer had acted recklessly, for example in failing to supply PPE.

 

Additionally, 14 per cent of respondents to the survey recorded “my employer is taking advantage of the crisis” including attacking terms and conditions and forcing workers to take holidays.

 

Deeply troubling

 

Gail Cartmail added: “The figures of employers acting recklessly and looking to take advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic are deeply troubling.

 

 “This is especially worrying given that Unite activists tend to operate in more responsible workplaces and the figure for workplaces which do not have a union presence will inevitably be far higher.”

 

See the branch health and safety toolkit with more information here.

 

May 11th 2020

POST A COMMENT!

Before Posting

We welcome debate and discussion on our website, but we also want an open, respectful, inclusive space in which forms of abuse or personal attack will not be tolerated. Comments will be moderated and will be removed if they are found to be unduly offensive. You should also be very careful in posting information about your employer. Employers do visit the website and if you think a comment could get you into trouble for releasing confidential or sensitive information, or for bringing the employer into disrepute, please do not post it. It remains your individual responsibility to ensure that what you post is appropriate. Please therefore just give a moment's thought to what you are saying. The types of comments that are likely to be moderated are:


  • Personal abuse or attacks on an individual.
  • Information which breaches another person's right to confidentiality.
  • The use of offensive language, including swear words, or language which is racist, sexist, or otherwise breaches equalities standards.
  • Anything that might place the Branch or the wider union in legal jeopardy.
  • Adverts or information which is posted for commercial gain.

* Name
* Email (will not be published)
Website
Comment
* field is required