More than four in 10 workers in the UK are feeling mentally and/or physically exhausted at the end of their workday.
This is according to Telus Mental Health Index which examined the mental health of employed people in the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Europe, Singapore, New Zealand and Australia.
The UK report revealed that 44% of workers felt mentally and/or physically exhausted at the end of their workday.
This was higher than counterparts in the US (34%) and Canada (42%).
The research found that excessive workload was the leading reason given for mental and physical burnout; a third of UK workers said they had “too much work”, while 19% said they have too many personal demands.
Those suffering from burnout were found to have significantly worse mental health, with a mental health score more than 20 points lower than those who did not.
The latest Index, which gave the UK a mental health score of 64.6, also found that employees under the age of 40 were 70% more than likely than workers over 50 to find it difficult to motivate themselves for work.
While many UK workplaces offer employee assistance programmes, the research also showed that 68% of workers were unsure whether or not their employer offers an EAP.
The mental health scores of workers who did not know or report that their employer does not offer an EAP was at least three points lower than workers with an EAP.
But the Index also found that half of UK workers believed that artificial intelligence (AI) will have a positive impact on healthcare, 31% of workers believed that it will have a positive impact on their industry and 13% of workers were considering upgrading their AI skills.
Managers and younger workers were three times as likely as non managers and workers over 50 to be considering upgrading their skills related to the use of AI.
Parents were nearly three times as likely as non-parents to consider upgrading their AI skills.
Paula Allen, global leader, research and client insights at Telus Health, said: “There is no question that AI’s advancement will bring significant benefits, potentially as pivotal as the industrial or internet age.
“Organisations have the opportunity to engage employees in this evolution by ensuring that AI tools and training are readily accessible to employees, and enabling them to explore the technology first hand so they can discover the ways it benefits them in their own work.
“As with any change, the best way to implement change is to engage people from the start, empowering them to grasp the possibilities and contribute valuable insights.
Philip Mullen, vice president EMEA at Telus Health, added: “We see a clear opportunity for employers to help extend the openness that younger employees are demonstrating towards leveraging AI compared to other colleagues who might be later adopters or initially hesitant to learn to use AI.
“By proactively addressing what their teams need to embrace the AI evolution and feel equipped to do so, they can act as an enabler for employee empowerment and ensure that their teams are equipped and ready to thrive in a future where AI is an integral part of our working lives.”
The Telus Mental Health Index is based on a response scoring system that turns individual responses into point values.
Higher point values are associated with better mental health and less mental health risk. Scores between 0 to 49 correspond with distress levels, scores between 50 to 79 correspond with strain levels and scores between 80 to 100 correspond with optimal levels of mental health.
The data for the latest index was collected through an online survey from 5 April to 15 April 2024 from 2,000 respondents.
