More people experiencing workrelated stress and anxiety in 2022

In 2020, misco studied the subject of employee well-being at work before the onset of the coronavirus, and in 2021, a second survey was conducted for comparisons. Now, a third survey has just been published which yielded very interesting results.

The results obtained from this year’s survey, conducted through fieldwork in the first quarter of this year and which featured 355 respondents, have been staggering. In fact, besides an increase from last year’s 63% to this year’s 79% of employees who experienced stress and anxiety related to work, even fewer respondents (63%) rated their mental wellness positively compared to last year (69%).

“This most recent survey allowed us to continue to build on our findings to be able to provide employers with an understanding of the employees’ perspective on their well-being at work,” explains Joanne Bondin, director at misco.

“Mental health at the workplace has become a pressing issue and the pandemic continued to highlight the importance of having an environment that is conducive of positive mental health in the workplace,” added Joanne Bondin.

“The fact that 68% of respondents also stated that their job has caused them mental health problems over the past 12 months should encourage employers more to take the appropriate initiatives to ensure their employees’ wellbeing.”

On the other hand, the study also indicated that notwithstanding how respondents feel, 62% of them still do not dedicate time to unwind from work. In fact, 76% stated that they do not see the need for it, hoping that their issue would resolve itself on its own. This could also be reflected in the working hours which respondents stated that they work – 52% of all respondents stated that they work more than 40 hours a week.

Today, supporting mental health in the workplace is a necessity. Studies have consistently shown that employee well-being predicts job attitudes and performance and it also has its implications on productivity and work relationships.

Employees, who have a positive perception of the status of their wellbeing, are more likely to trust their superiors and follow company rules. Such behaviour will lead to high-performing organisations which are productive and innovative.

“Employees need to be encouraged to talk more about their mental wellbeing at work. Perhaps the fact that 72% of respondents have never disclosed unmanageable stress or mental health problems to their current employer or manager, could be a reason why a third of businesses still do not invest in mental well-being initiatives.”

“In fact, the survey showed that a staggering 84% of respondents would attend a workshop about achieving a positive work-life balance while 74% stated that they would attend workshops or talks on mental health awareness,” added Bondin.

“This study has shown us that the incidence of mental health issues at the workplace is greater than one would imagine. In a society that has seen immense changes, employers are increasingly giving this subject more attention and importance by implementing initiatives to try and address this issue.”

“On the other hand, employees too have raised their expectations, and this has created a lot of opportunities for enhancement of workplace mental health. This demands a culture change which will necessitate all stakeholders to work and collaborate in a more emphatic and compassionate manner,” concluded Bondin.

To acquire a copy of the Employees wellbeing at the workplace survey or to assess your employee wellbeing, one may contact misco on businessreports@miscomalta.com