According to the latest study by the UK’s leading independent job board, CV-Library, nearly three-quarters (73%) of UK businesses didn’t offer any new mental health resources during the first lockdown. This news comes despite research from Mind UK, revealing that depression among adults almost doubled during the pandemic. 

The job board surveyed over 200 UK businesses in an effort to ascertain how employers have protected the wellbeing of their staff during the global pandemic. The findings also reveal that despite not taking any action, 74.5% of employers felt they were more aware of the mental health of their staff than they were before the onset of COVID-19.  

It’s important to note that many businesses already provide mental health support. In fact, 83% of respondents felt they did enough to support mental health before the start of the pandemic. However, with more people suffering than ever before, it’s likely that every organisation will need to offer more targeted resources for staff.

Lee Biggins, CEO and founder of CV-Library comments: “These statistics are worrying. It’s no surprise that the rate of depression has increased so significantly but it appears that many employers aren’t truly aware of the mental health challenges their staff are facing. 

“This has been a difficult year for everyone and we aren’t through the other side yet. Businesses need to take every action to help support employees or they could risk losing valuable team members when they need them the most.”

What’s more, CV-Library sought to understand what type of mental health resources were made available by the businesses who offered extra support during the first lockdown. The report found that ‘How to…’ guides were the most popular resource, being used by 58.8% of organizations. This was closely followed by employee helplines (33.8%) and access to meditation and mental health apps (26.5%).  

Biggins continues: “Providing mental health support should not be a ‘tick-box’ activity for employers. Information guides and access to third party resources is important but it needs to be followed up by a systemic change in company culture, too. Businesses should be encouraging managers to check in on the mental health of their direct reports and ensure that employees feel supported and valued. 

“As a candidate or employee, if you’re struggling with your mental wellbeing it’s important that you speak to your manager and ask for support. Alternatively, there’s a wealth of information online.”