Men’s mental health in the workplace

With one man in five dying before retirement age, Men’s Health Week has highlighted how male mental health shouldn’t be ignored, and why more men need to open up about how they’re feeling.

As well as looking inward, people should be considering ways to support male employees and colleagues with mental health issues they may have, as well as friends and family.

Men's mental health statistics

Let’s explore some of the most significant mental health stats relating to men in the UK.

• Men are 32% less likely to visit the doctor about their mental health, particularly when they’re in the midst of a career.
• Almost three-quarters (74%) of suicides in the UK are male.
• 40% of men have never spoken about their mental health with anybody at all. This means no friends, family, or a doctor.
• 29% say they’re “too embarrassed” to talk, and 20% feel there is a “negative stigma” around speaking out about their mental health concerns.
• 32% of men said work pressure and 31% cited financial problems to be the largest causes of their mental health issues.

These statistics are alarming and one of the core issues they highlight is mental health in the workplace as being under-reported and ignored.

So how do we as a society change the mental health landscape for men at work? Let’s look at what employees and employers can do to turn the tide and support those who need it.

How to Deal With Poor Mental Health at Work

Speak to Someone you Trust

It can be easy to bottle things up when we’re going through tough times, but telling someone how you feel is the hardest yet most important step. Finding somebody you trust and are comfortable confiding in is key, which in the workplace could be your line manager, a colleague, HR or a mental health first aider or champion.

If you’re able to disclose your feelings at work, your employer may be able to adjust your workload and/or working arrangements to support you and your mental health.

There are also charities you can reach out to if you’re struggling, like Samaritans which has a 24/7 phone line available every day of the year. Shout also offers a free text service where you can message trained volunteers day or night.

Understand What you Need to Stay Mentally Healthy

Mental health is complex and what works for one person might not work for another, so here are some ideas to help you get started:

• Try an exercise routine.

Physical activity is well documented to positively affect our mood. If you’re interested in finding out more or aren’t sure where to start, Mental Health Foundation has a helpful resource on how to look after your mental health using exercise.

• Consider a wellness action plan.

Mind, the nationally renowned mental health charity, provides a fantastic wellness action plan guide to help you handle stress management and mental health.

• Limit your alcohol consumption.

Because alcohol is a depressant, it can disrupt your feelings and actions, according to the Mental Health Foundation. If you’re struggling with alcohol, the charity provides guidance on alcohol and mental health and Drinkaware also lists support services you can access.

• Start a course.

If the above steps aren’t quite cutting it, Mental Health in Business has a 12-step programme that helps men take control of their lives. If you feel comfortable, you could ask your employer if they could fund training to support you and your mental health healing journey.

Find a Local Support Group

If you aren’t ready to open up at your job or need a space to share your thoughts and struggles outside of work, there are several men’s mental health support groups across the UK:

• Andy’s Man Club offers in-person peer-to-peer groups for men over 18 every Monday (except for Bank Holidays).
• The Men’s Sheds Association runs ‘sheds’ where men can pursue or take part in practical activities in social environments that foster camaraderie.
• The ManKind Project UK and Ireland provide safe, inclusive spaces both virtually and face-to-face.

How Employers can Improve men’s Mental Health

Create an Open and Honest Environment

Since men are less likely to open up about their mental health, employees need to see male senior management and directors leading by example. This could be sharing their vulnerabilities in one-on-one settings or small groups, and they could then encourage other men to open up and share their feelings.

If you’re in a management or director role, you might want to introduce coffee or lunch clubs where your team can chat about things on their mind both at work and at home in a relaxed, informal setting.

Get Creative

For more visible support, recording videos or podcasts or creating internal communications where men of all levels of the business can voice their stories, struggles, and advice may help to break the stigma.

You could also signpost employees to internal and external sources that offer assistance regarding mental health struggles.

Provide Wellness-focused Employee Benefits

There are a variety of different benefits you can provide for your staff, including health insurance, employee assistance programmes (EAPs) and salary sacrifice.

In addition to the above, you can also provide access to wellbeing apps like Headspace and Calm. With the majority of people owning a smartphone and the increase in remote and hybrid working, these are quick, easy and convenient resources for employees.

Alternatively or additionally, you could invest in an employee wellness app like Peppy, which provides staff members with access to experts who can help them through some men’s mental and physical health journeys.

Peppy also provides a proactive toolkit for businesses, benefits teams, and HR departments to take action around men’s health.

Introduce Men's Health Champions

Many companies are choosing to train their staff as Mental Health First aiders to support colleagues. If you’d like to help your male employees more specifically, Men’s Health Forum provides Men's Health Champions Training.

Men’s Health Forum states that Men’s Health Champions are “empathetic, good listeners, willing to talk about health and other difficult issues” and “make a real difference” because they provide informal aid over formal healthcare, which may feel intimidating.

Speak to Search

At Search, one of our core values is providing a collaborative approach for both businesses and job seekers.  

If you’re a candidate and you feel your mental health is preventing you from job hunting or you’re struggling in your current position, we’re here to talk. 

For employers, our assistance doesn't end after we’ve placed a candidate within your business and instead, it’s an ongoing partnership. As such, we can take care of your whole recruitment lifecycle, from start to finish, to support your existing staff, new employees and your business goals.

To find out more, please fill in your details here or speak to your local Search office.