Women are finding the workplace is adversely affecting their mental health more than men, according to research from Nuffield Health.
The provider’s Healthier Nation Index which surveyed 8,000 UK adults found 48% of women said work had a negative impact on their mental health. This compared to 40% of men.
The research also found while more than a third (34%) of men called in sick due to poor mental health and were happy to disclose this information with their employer, less than a quarter (24%) of women said the same.
Nuffield Health also found 22% of women went into work more than 10 times when their mental health was bad compared to just 16% of men.
Lisa Gunn, mental health prevention lead at Nuffield Health, said: “To prevent losing female talent, organisations must consider their workplaces’ practices to ensure they are supportive for females and fit for purpose.
“There’s no single reason why more women are struggling with poor mental health at work than men, but the way societal structures and gender norms interact could have a substantial impact on emotional wellbeing.
“Managers need to fundamentally rethink company structures to promote fairness and equal opportunities and prevent poor mental health and burnout for all employees.”
