Mental Health in the Workplace: 6 Red Flags to Watch for in Employees

The 2024 Workforce State of Mind Report, written by mental health enthusiasts, Headspace, states that 77% of the 2,000 employees they surveyed, confirm that work stress has negatively impacted their physical health, with nearly half (47%) additionally confirming that most of their stress comes from work, rather than their personal life.

We know that the last four years have had a positive impact on the reduction of mental health stigma in the workplace, so much so that 81% of businesses have had to refocus their mental health and wellbeing efforts as a non-negotiable.

In this blog we are going to further explore the different ways that mental health can present itself in the workplace, aiding employers with the confidence and knowledge to be able to identify any mental health red flags that could potentially appear amongst their employees.

1) Uncharacteristic Behaviour

What seems like the most obvious can be challenging to identify – uncharacteristic behaviour. We say uncharacteristic, as it is important to remember that no two people have the same personality, and importantly, no one will feel the same way, day in and day out.

For example, some may say that being generally quiet or introverted is a red flag to be mindful of; however, some individuals are naturally a lot quieter or calmer than others, as we all have different personalities.

So, what’s important is to get to know your employees on an individual level, looking out for behaviours and characteristics that are specific to them. This means when it comes to spotting uncharacteristic behaviours like someone who is usually quite outgoing, loud or bubbly acting distant, quiet or generally down, it becomes a lot easier.

Uncharacteristic behaviour can be both sudden and happen slowly over time. It’s important to look for uncharacteristic behaviours often to avoid missing the little signs that have been forming over previous weeks or months.

2) Decrease in Productivity or Quality of Work

Studies have shown over the years that there is a strong correlation between mental health and productivity. Most commonly mental health illnesses such as anxiety and depression have been linked to feelings of disengagement, disinterest, an inability to concentrate or focus and poor levels of productivity.

These behaviours can occur from feeling extremely lethargic or fatigued and are not to be mistaken for laziness or a negative attitude.

An example of this could include an individual repeatedly struggling to meet their deadlines, even though resources have been made available and an appropriate amount of time has been issued. This individual could be struggling to engage, concentrate or motivate themselves.

Similarly, decreased levels of productivity could show itself in the quality of work produced by said individual. If you notice the quality of work produced is continuously poorer than it was previously, deadlines have been missed or a normal workload is piling on top of an employee, these are all signs that there could be a bigger issue at hand.

3) Withdrawal from Social Interactions or Activities

Most workplaces will form and nurture employee relationships with social activities or days, commonly 3 or 4 times a year. Often, employees will take part in offsite team days, where they will engage in team-building interactive activities, such as a scavenger hunt, games (pool or darts), bowling or quizzes.

However, it is less heard of that someone may continuously be skipping these activities, time and time again, without reason.

If you notice withdrawn or antisocial behaviour, maybe where it once did not occur, this could signal that mental health problems are apparent. Those who are living with mental health disorders and therefore could be struggling with simple everyday tasks can sometimes be subconsciously less interested in maintaining their positive working relationships or taking time out to simply have fun or enjoy themselves.

Focussed on surviving instead of thriving, it is common that those feeling mentally unwell will have a shift in priorities, and this is something to look for amongst employees.

4) Increased Absences

If someone is taking multiple short-term absences, whether this be calling in sick or taking erratic annual leave, it could be a sign that they're struggling with their mental health. Unable to work their contracted hours week in and week out implies that they could be struggling with their energy levels, mood or workload.

As a way of coping and in turn, healing, when they are struggling, a red flag in any workplace is a significant increase in absenteeism. With “1 in 20 young people economically inactive due to ill mental health throughout 2023”, the number of individuals taking time away from work due to poor mental health is worrying, feeling like it is the only way they can continue and cope with everyday life.

Where it’s vital that we take regular time away from work, for a healthy work-life balance and to spend quality time with our loved one, individuals should never feel that they need to take time away from work because their job has made them unwell, unlike themselves or is having a detrimental impact on their mental health.

If you are noticing that absences amongst your workplace are unusually high, there could be a bigger issue occurring.

5) Skipping Opportunities to Eat Together

Post-Covid-19, The Royal College of Psychiatrists alerted the public that there was a possibility that it would come up against a hidden epidemic of eating disorders, coming to fruition during the pandemic. This was because individuals were struggling to feel in control and would therefore use food to cope with high levels of global uncertainty, redundancies and severe isolation.

Fast forward to today, eating disorders, which are mental health conditions, are still worryingly high, with statistics stating that between 1.25 and 3.4 million people in the UK currently are affected by an eating disorder. This could be either themselves, or through someone close to them.

This shows that depending on the size of the business you work for, it is more likely than not that someone in your workplace could be struggling with an eating disorder or struggling to support someone close to them who has one.

Eating disorders can be hard to recognise at the best of times, in or out of the workplace. Additionally, the average individual suffering from an eating disorder is often described as being a perfectionist – a quality that would be praised in any workplace but, in the context of mental health, can be a worrying symptom! Because of this, it is incredibly important to know what behaviours and signs to look for:

• Irritability or emotional outbursts around breakfast and lunch time
• An obsessive attitude around food, exercise and dieting
• Making excuses to avoid social events that include food or eating in a shared location with others, e.g., staff kitchen
• Regularly scheduling exercise around mealtimes
• Increased caffeine consumption
• Difficulty concentrating on tasks and low energy
• Drastic change in physical appearance, including thinning of hair, visibility of bones

If you are worried that someone in your workplace is suffering with an eating disorder, there’s help, resources and support available to them.

6) General Feelings of Doubt, Fear, and Anxiety

While quite a broad mixture of feelings, it is important to look out for repeated signs of stress, anxiety and low mood amongst employees – especially in both hybrid and remote workplaces. While it is normal to have both good and bad days at work, if someone is repeatedly stressed, anxious and presenting a genuine fear of speaking up amongst their peers, there might be a more underlying issue at hand.

Feeling psychologically safe in the workplace has become a much talked-about subject during the last few years, as employees are becoming more aware of both how they should be treated in their workplace and how they are treated.

To be psychologically safe is to know that collectively in the workplace, you can make mistakes, express your ideas and concerns and take risks, with no fear that you will essentially be punished, scrutinised or belittled for your input. If an employee is not feeling psychologically safe in their role, it can present in the following ways:

• Lack of participation in team meetings
• Lack of confidence or belief in ability
• Consistently apologising after any input or suggestion
• Feelings of defensiveness, self-criticism and self-blame

Knowing the signs of what to look for allows managers and senior staff to better support their employees, building a workplace in which they feel empowered and motivated.

Mental health can present itself in several different ways, both inside the workplace and out. While the stigma around mental illness and conditions is reducing, workplaces still require more training, resource and equipment to enable them to better support their workforce.

It is with further development of policies, training, tools and materials that employers continue to work towards creating a workplace in which employees feel they can bring their whole selves to work, feel correctly supported and encouraged to grow, regardless of their mental health.

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