Corporate adviser JLT has encouraged employers to help employees address issues with stress and promote healthy coping strategies, both inside and outside the workplace.
Money issues, health and mental health concerns are significant worries for more than half of individuals when outside of work, according to a JLT Employee Benefits survey.
Mental health issues - once considered taboo - have become more accepted in society as more people look for healthy stress management tools, such as mindfulness, to deal with issues in everyday life.
Andrew Drake, reward and benefits director for JLT Employee Benefits, said people have become more comfortable talking about money and health issues, including mental health, but said that it is still “surprising” that as many as one in five people report dealing with these struggles.
He encouraged employers to help employees with tools to deal with stressors in a healthy manner, inside and outside the workplace.
“With many employees facing the stress of increasing workloads and longer hours in the workplace, employers need to look at how they can support their staff by improving their work/life balance.
“Introducing initiatives such as working from home and introducing benefits that acknowledge the needs of an increasingly diverse workplace can make a real difference in reducing absenteeism and help improve productivity and performance.”
Some suggestions offered by the company also included teaching individuals to focus on logic over emotion, to make realistic preparations for future obstacles, and to stick to a manageable schedule.
julia.faurschou@ft.com
