(Picture: Deirdre Spain/ Metro.co.uk)
Even though the World Mental Health Day has come and gone, the reality is that our working
culture may need to undergo a massive overhaul, starting with the
belief
that the best workers are the ones doing the most hours.
A survey conducted by The Hoxby
Collective has found
that 33% of workers said they’d suffered from mental health issues as a direct result of working
rigid hours. Of
those people, 90% were dealing with excessive levels of stress, 78% had anxiety, 60% were
suffering from
depression, and 52% had insomnia. A third of these people had to take time off work as a
result of their mental
health issues. This suggests that our standard nine to five culture, which rewards people for
working overtime
and frowns on flexible hours, simply isn’t working for our mental wellbeing.
(Picture: Ella Byworth for Metro.co.uk)
61% of those surveyed said they feel pressure to work late, citing reasons such as wanting to
show
commitment,
because others work late, because the boss works late, and being keen for a promotion. To
change that, bosses
need to lead by example, leaving on time and taking their full lunch breaks, and making sure
that consistently
working late isn’t praised.
Presenteeism is outdated and, frankly, rubbish. It doesn’t create better quality work, only
making workers
stressed and exhausted, resulting in the need to take time off later down the line. Bosses need
to encourage a
working culture in which people aren’t judged simply on turning up and sitting at their desk the
longest. Value
the
quality of people’s contributions, allow for flexible working hours when needed, and encourage
workers to leave
on
time and get the rest and relaxation they need.
(Source:Metro, London)
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