Nearly four out of ten professionals (37%) across the world said their mental health and wellbeing has been impacted negatively during the Covid-19 pandemic, according to a global survey by Hays. 

Hays surveyed over 1,800 professionals to learn more about their experiences relating to mental health and wellbeing during the pandemic and whether they had received any support from their employer. 

It found that 42% of those affected said their employer did not provide them with support.

Sandra Henke, Group Head of People & Culture at Hays, said “It is concerning that 37% of professionals feel their mental health and wellbeing has been impacted negatively during this time. Just as concerning is that 42% of those affected have said they haven’t received any support from the employer. The health and safety of all workers needs to be at the forefront for all employers and there is a duty of care to ensure their workforce receives the necessary support. This is even more important when large parts of the workforce have been working remotely and may not have been in such close contact with colleagues or managers”. 

Henke added, “Across the globe many people have had to deal with very different challenges during the pandemic, ranging from trying to juggle commitments outside of their work, to feeling isolated to even dealing with the death of a loved one. Each person’s experience of the crisis has been unique to them and when the visibility of workers isn’t as great as it once was, it can be difficult for employers to identify who needs help.”

“However, there are steps that organisations can take to ensure they are doing their upmost to protect the mental health and wellbeing of their employees,” Henke said. “This is more than just being a duty of care issue, this is about ensuring businesses truly support people during what has been a difficult time for everyone.”