Our 2024 global mind health report has uncovered that the world’s non-native* workforce is struggling more than ever with mental health challenges. A staggering 80% are experiencing at least one mental health symptom and almost half (49%) are struggling with burnout as a result of their job.
For employers, this will soon – if not already – have concerning ramifications on staff retention. Our findings revealed that 4 in 5 (81%) non-natives working around the globe have at least one exit strategy from their current job to help them manage the impact work is having on their mental health. And more than two in five (45%) are looking into upskilling options, such as training courses, to facilitate this move.
There’s work to do
Non-native employees may be taking or exploring these steps because they feel under-supported by their employers. More than a quarter (29%) of non-native workers are dissatisfied with their company’s psychological support services and are 16% more likely than their native peers to have a negative experience following a mind health concern.
This could explain why more than half (52%) of non-native personnel would not feel comfortable discussing a mental health concern with their managers. They’re even 21% more likely than their native peers to say that better mental health support training for managers would improve their experience. However, managers themselves are an arm of the workforce which consistently reports higher rates of work-related mental health challenges.
Nearly two thirds (59%) of non-native managers are experiencing burnout and more than one third (35%) have taken sick leave as a result. Non-native managers are also 23% more likely than native managers to have taken sick leave once or more in the last 12 months.
Speaking on the findings and contributing to our report, our Chief People Officer, Samantha O’Donovan, comments: ‘To learn that a large portion of the non-native community is considering leaving or changing their job for mental health reasons is a major concern for employers and healthcare service providers worldwide. Despite the financial implications, businesses and leadership teams have a duty to support and develop their people, and this latest edition of our global mind health report suggests that their ability to provide the right support to employees is in decline.
Managers are cornerstones of company culture, and bear much of the responsibility for cultivating a mentally safe working environment. Yet they’re often the ‘squeezed middle’ between the pressures of meeting their people management responsibilities and operational priorities. Arming managers with the skills they need to offer mental health support to the colleagues they manage, as well as the resources to manage their own wellbeing, will help to make sure this crucial branch of business remains resilient, inclusive and compassionate in the face of mind health challenges.’
To read the full findings of the 2024 global mind health report, click here: Mind health report (axaglobalhealthcare.com)
* Non-natives are people who live in a different country from the one they were born in.
The information in this article is correct at the time of publishing.