Race and Mental Health at Work

• Mental Health
• Black, Asian, Mixed Race and other ethnically diverse people
• Health and Wellbeing
• Race Equality
• Healthy_Communities
• Diversity and Inclusion

This Race 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. These insights relate to Black, Asian, Mixed Race and other ethnically diverse employees and their experiences of mental health at work.

The survey found that:

• Overall, almost two in five (39%) of employees have experienced poor mental health where work was a contributing factor in the past year (up from 36% in 2018). However, for Black, Asian, Mixed Race and other ethnically diverse employees it was almost one in two (47%).
• While 51% of employees overall feel comfortable talking generally in the workplace about mental health issues (down from 54% in 2018), only 40% of employees feel comfortable. This can be linked to a further finding from this research that white employees are more likely than those from a Black, Asian, Mixed Race and other ethnically diverse employees background to have been formally diagnosed with a mental health condition (31% compared to 23%).
• Of those Black, Asian, Mixed Race and other ethnically diverse employees who have experienced mental health symptoms related to work, a quarter (25%) stated their ethnicity was a factor in these symptoms, compared to only 1% of those with work related symptoms who were white.

About the factsheet

This Race and mental health at work factsheet contains information on:

• further information and statistics drawn from the Mental Health at Work: Time to Take Ownership report
• recommendations for employers and leaders
• further reading.

About the Mental Health at Work 2019: Time To Take Ownership report

YouGov survey data from more than 4,000 employees forms the basis of the Mental Health at Work 2019: Time to Take Ownership report. The report shows that progress is being made, with evidence of increased awareness and positive action. 

However, it is not happening with the scale and speed needed. Unacceptably, some employers are still contributing to the psychological harm experienced by their staff through poor business practices and culture. To address this, the report includes recommendations on how to create positive, inclusive workplace cultures that support employees’ mental health.

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