Over a third of British employers have seen their mental health support improve since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, according to a new survey.

Acas and YouGov surveyed over 2000 businesses in Britain about whether they had seen a change to employee mental health and wellbeing support in their organisation since the start of the pandemic.

Over a third (36%) said it had got better, 9% said it had got worse, 50% reported it as staying the same, and 6% of employers were unsure.

Acas Chief Executive, Susan Clews, said it was great to see that so many bosses had managed to improve their organisation’s mental health support for their staff, but there was more to be done.

“Nearly 1 in 10 employers have seen this support deteriorate so it is important for businesses to invest in the wellbeing of their workers as they open up again,” she said.

Acas advice for employers on managing mental health during COVID-19 includes:

• be approachable, available and encourage team members to talk to you if they’re having problems
• keep in regular contact with your team to check how they are coping
• be understanding towards the concerns and needs of your staff while they work in new or unexpected ways – for example, working from home or managing childcare while working
• address any individual communication preferences such as asking team members if they prefer to talk over the phone, through video meetings or by email
• look after your own mental health and get support if you feel under more pressure than usual – this support could be a colleague at work, a mental health network or a counsellor

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