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Women are disproportionately affected by an increase in mental health problems brought on by increased workloads as people do their work from home amid the pandemic.
The length of the workday has increased steadily, resulting in a 49% increase in employee-reported mental distress compared to 2017-19. Women are bearing the brunt of trouble as they juggle work and childcare, according to a report from the 4 Day Week campaign and think tanks Compass and Autonomy.
The report, Burnout Britain, comes one day before World Mental Health Day and shows that women are 43% more likely to have increased their hours beyond a standard work week than men, and for those who have children, this was even more clearly associated with mental problems. Health problems: 86% of women who do a standard work week alongside childcare, which is more or equivalent to the UK average, experienced problems in April this year.
Emma Mamo, director of workplace wellness at mental health charity Mind, said she encouraged employers to support staff wellness by offering flexible work, which could mean starting later or sharing some roles.
“As we try to manage our lives around Covid-19, employers could take more steps, such as working from home or different hours to adapt to people’s lives,” Mamo said.
The report warns that “in addition to a looming recession and massive unemployment, we are heading for an unprecedented mental health crisis.”
Calls for a four-day working week for the public sector and the formation of a working time commission by the UK government to explore the best policy-making opportunities to use shorter working time to share the work of more equitable way across the economy.
Joe Ryle, an activist with the 4 Day Week campaign, said: “It is extremely worrying that, in general, the shift to working remotely has resulted in workers working longer hours rather than fewer.
“This country desperately needs a four-day work week to rebalance the economy, boost mental health, and give people more time to do the things they love.”
Lisa Cameron MP, SNP spokesperson for mental health, said: “This report shows us that it is very important as a society to strive for a work-life balance that makes economic sense for businesses and employees as well.
“The four-day workweek has emerged in recent months as a potential avenue for flexible working across the economy, so the Scottish government has created a commission to further explore the possibility in Scotland.”
