Age and Mental Health at Work
This Age and Mental Health at Work factsheet highlights some of the insights drawn from Business in the Community’s (BITC) 2019 Mental Health at Work: Time to Take Ownership report, in partnership with Mercer Marsh Benefits, relating to different ages and stages of our lives.
The report recognised the growing momentum on the tangible need for mental health improvements in the workplace, but there is much more that employers need to do.
The UK workforce includes employees aged from under 20 to over 70. Our research throws a spotlight on a dimension of wellbeing that has received less attention: that experiences vary with age and different issues are of importance at different ages and stages of our lives.
- Overall, two in five employees reported poor mental health symptoms related to work in the last year.
- Younger people report more mental health issues overall, but employers should be attuned to issues such as menopause and caring, which particularly affect the mental health of older employees.
- Bullying and harassment is a significant wellbeing issue and behaviours have age-related dimensions.
Getting the best out of employees of all ages
For employers, it is important to recognise that all mental health issues can impact on an employee’s wellbeing and productivity.
The challenge is to respond flexibly, including to different responses across age groups, providing the best support for the mental health of all employees. In this way employers can leverage the contribution of all ages and gain considerable business advantage.
About the factsheet
The Age and Mental Health at Work factsheet contains information on the following:
- The impact of work on mental health
- Financial wellbeing
- Caring and mental health issues
- Actions for employers
About BITC’s work on Age
The BITC age partnership supports employers to respond effectively to the ageing population and the needs of older workers and to leverage the benefits of effective intergenerational working.
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