UK Employees Feel Mental Health and Productivity Changes On Returning to Work

Factors Influencing Change In Mental Health

Since returning to the office, there have been a number of different factors that have led to changes in employees mental health.

Co-Workers Improve Employees Mental Health

Out of the 23% of employees who said their mental health had improved, 74% said that it was because they were back with their co-workers.

The second most popular reason for improved mental health was the better routine of being back in the office (49%).

Worse Work-Life Balance and Daily Commute Top Reasons for Mental Health Decline

For those who have seen a decline in mental health, 61% said the main reason was that their work-life balance had become worse.

50% said the daily commute worsened their mental health.

• Worse work-life balance (61%)
• Daily commute (50%)
• Fear of catching an illness and becoming unwell (47%)

Effects The Return To Office Is Having On Productivity

It’s not just mental health that has been impacted since returning to the office. Some employees have also seen a change in their productivity levels.

1 in 5 Employees Have Seen Productivity Levels Increase

The good news for employers is that 1 in 5 respondents said they felt their productivity levels have improved since returning to the office.

In contrast, 20% said they have actually seen a decline. But what factors are responsible for these changes?

Better Communication and Office Buzz Improves Employee Productivity

Employees who have seen an improvement in productivity are putting it down to the fact that communication in the office is better and the environment helps them focus.

• Better communication (51%)
• Office buzz helping them to focus (47%)
• Better routine (47%)

Daily Commute and More Distractions Reducing Productivity Levels

For employees who have seen a decline in productivity, the main contributing factors are more distractions in the office (80%) and the daily commute (59%).

• More distractions (80%)
• Daily commute (59%)
• More stressed (38%)

For The Best Results Employers Should Give Their Employees The Choice

It is clear from our survey results that employees have been affected by the return to office life in different ways.

Some have found it a positive experience, which has improved their wellbeing and how they work. Whereas for others, it has been challenging and had the opposite effect.

This means that to get the best out of staff, employers need to provide them with the choice for how they work. Employers can do this by offering flexible hours and home working options.

By giving employees this choice, they can choose a way of working that is good for their wellbeing and helps them perform at their best whilst working.