Far fewer furloughed workers are being offered mental health support by their employer than their peers, according to research from Westfield Health.
The health and wellbeing company’s report on The Future of Work finds just 17% of those on furlough are being provided with mental health programmes, compared with 29% of people working from home and 32% who are working in an office.
Consequently, two-thirds (67%) of those surveyed are calling for more wellbeing support upon their return to work and 34% want mental health assistance.
The report finds almost 750,000 furloughed workers are feeling forgotten by their employers, with 30% having already been told their hours will be reduced and 31% not being told how they will be working in the future.
While furloughed workers were the most likely to ask for mental health support (34%), a third of those in a place of work (32%) and more than a quarter of those working from home (27%) also want this.
The report also found that 52% of people working from home were worried about returning to the office, compared to just 46% of those on furlough.
More than two-thirds (68%) of people working from home and 62% of those at a place of work want more wellbeing help from their employer over the next few months, while a quarter of all workers are looking for clearer communication.
Commenting on the findings, Dave Capper, CEO of Westfield Health, said: “Postponing the reopening of the economy and not extending furlough may be the right decision for the cash in the treasury, but it doesn’t help the mental state of millions of people on furlough.
“One of the many challenges for management over the past year has been to communicate and care for the wellbeing of their employees both on and off furlough. With so many worries about changes to the roadmap, it’s making communication difficult and leaving millions feeling isolated with no knowledge of what’s coming next.
“This lack of clarity for furloughed workers and their employers has to end, otherwise the cost of mental health will soar and our furloughed workers may never regain the confidence to work productively again.”
