Employers could see increases in burnout and decreases in mental wellbeing due to employees’ working from home habits during lockdown, research by QBE, the business insurance specialist, revealed.
The survey of UK employees working from home with no change to their contracted hours following the Covid-19 government lockdown finds that younger employees, between 18-34, appeared to be struggling the most with finding a work/life balance under lockdown, with this age group reporting an average of 3 extra hours of work per week, and 17% saying they were working 10 hours or more extra each week. Younger employees were also most likely to admit that they felt under pressure to deliver more because they were worried about losing their jobs (36%) and the impact this current period could have on their careers (42%).
The survey highlights that many workers are finding it difficult to switch off outside working hours (23%) and reported feeling anxious (49%) and overly tired (44%) working from home currently.
Over a third of respondents (35%) say they are working later than before the lockdown and almost half (44%) said that they were finding it difficult to separate work and home life, while 34% stated that the current situation of working from home was having a negative impact on their mental health.
Pinar Karabulut, psychologist and rehabilitation consultant at QBE Business Insurance said: “The current pandemic is testing every business and their leaders. As many UK employees adapt to this new way of working, the lines between home and work life appear to be blurring. While it is encouraging to see that the majority of people (63%) say they are enjoying working from home, our research did identify some worrying trends. Some people may feel obligated to answer emails outside work hours and work longer hours, but this does risk burnout and it’s important to switch off at the end of the day to avoid a negative impact on mental health.”
Other key findings from the research included:
- Nearly half (48%) of respondents said the lack of in person contact with colleague was making them feel low.
- 58% of those with children said they were finding it difficult to balance childcare and work.
- Workers reported difficulties feeling motivated (40%), difficulty concentrating (37%) and a decrease in productivity (30%).
Pinar continued: “We recommend employers check in with their employees regularly to see how they are feeling and coping. Employees should be encouraged to stick to normal working hours to reduce the risk of burning out and to take regular breaks. It is also important to encourage regular communication such as video chats between managers and team members to make sure employees don’t feel too isolated.”
Steps to support the mental wellbeing of employees
- Identify: Employers should identify any changes in the motivation and mood of their team members by implementing regular check-ins and setting up times for frank conversations that can lead to increased engagement and act as a gateway to providing support.
- Communicate: Staff must be kept fully up-to-date with the employee wellbeing benefits currently in place. These benefits should include several wellbeing aids and solutions, from informative webinars, to an Employee Assistance Program, to health support through private medical insurance.
- Inform: Mental wellbeing and resilience can be strengthened through increased knowledge of how to practically carry out these concepts, and employers should consider arranging regular wellbeing webinars focusing on sleep hygiene, exercise, relaxation, and maintaining social connections in the digital world. Collective engagement in health-related behaviours can improve motivation and social connectedness.
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For further information contact:
Alexis Burris, Media Relations Adviser, QBE, +44 (0)20 3465 3921
Sandra Villanueva, Senior Media Relations Manager, QBE +44(0)20 7105 5284
About the research
The research was carried out by Opinium in an online survey of 2,002 UK adults from 24th-27th April, of which 30% of workers are working from home because of the coronavirus situation with no change to their contracted hours.
About QBE
QBE helps businesses build resilience through risk management and insurance.
QBE European Operations is part of QBE Insurance Group, one of the world’s leading international insurers and reinsurers and Standard & Poor’s A+ rated. Listed on the Australian Securities Exchange, QBE’s gross written premium for the year ended 31 December 2019 was US$13.4 billion.
As a business insurance specialist, QBE European Operations offers a range of insurance products from the standard suite of property, casualty and motor to the specialist financial lines, marine and energy. All are tailored to the individual needs of our small, medium and large client base.
We understand the crucial role that effective risk management plays in all organisations and work hard to understand our clients’ businesses so that we offer insurance solutions that meet their needs – from complex programmes to simpler e-trading solutions – and support them in minimising their risk exposures. Our expert risk management and rehabilitation practitioners focus on helping clients improve their risk management so that they may benefit from a reduction in claims frequency and costs.