More than one-quarter of Britons are unable to disconnect after work hours

LONDON, April 21, 2022 - LifeWorks, a leading provider of digital and in-person total wellbeing solutions, today released its monthly Mental Health Index™ that showed 27 per cent of Britons are experiencing challenges disconnecting after regular work hours, with this group displaying a mental health score more than 10 points below the national average. Additionally, more than two-in-five Britons report ending their workday feeling mentally and/or physically exhausted.

Marking two years since the launch of the Index, this month’s report found that Briton workers are still under strain with a mental health score lower than the pre-pandemic benchmark of 0.0 for the 24th consecutive month.

• The Mental Health Index™ score for March 2022 is -11.4, a decline from February’s score of -10.7.

Many British workers are experiencing burnout, leading to lack of concentration and motivation

• Twenty-nine per cent of Britons find it increasingly difficult to concentrate on their work. This group has a mental health score of -31.2, nearly 20 points below the national average.
• Thirty-seven per cent of Britons find it increasingly difficult to be motivated to do their work. This group has a mental health score of -26.7, more than 15 points below the national average.
• Of the 27 per cent of Britons who are unable to disconnect after regular work hours, 26 per cent report that this is due to their manager continuing to contact them.
• Forty-three per cent of Britons report ending their workday feeling mentally and/or physically exhausted. This group has a mental health score of -24.1, nearly 13 points below the national average.
• Respondents younger than 40 are 70 per cent more likely to feel mentally and/or physically exhausted at the end of their workday than those older than 50.

Comments from managing director, United Kingdom and Europe, Philip Mullen

“High levels of burnout are a concern for individuals and organisations. The exhaustion and impact to motivation clearly impacts productivity as well as the ability to enjoy life and feel accomplished. All too often people wait too late to address the signs. Employee assistance programs (EAP) offer confidential personal counselling at no cost to the employee. More people would do well to access their EAP as soon as the signs start.”

Comments from global leader and senior vice president, research and total wellbeing, Paula Allen

“The inability to disconnect from work is a clear risk to wellbeing. Whether the work is considered high stress or not, having time to focus on other things is healthy and builds resilience. If one’s job is stressful, the need for this is amplified. While remote work offers flexibility, it also blurs the lines of work and one’s personal life. With this we need to be more intentional about having a range of distinct experiences including rest.”

The full U.K. LifeWorks Mental Health Index™ report can be found here. This month, the report includes additional insights on Britons’ substance use and associated career stigma, workplace-sponsored addiction support programs and more.

About the Mental Health Index™

The monthly survey by LifeWorks was conducted through an online survey from March 3 to 18, 2022 with 2,000 respondents in the United Kingdom. All respondents reside in the United Kingdom and were employed within the last six months. The data has been statistically weighted to ensure the regional and gender composition of the sample reflect this population. The Mental Health Index™ is published monthly, beginning April 2020, and compares against benchmark data collected in 2017, 2018, 2019.

About LifeWorks

LifeWorks is a world leader in providing digital and in-person solutions that support the total wellbeing of individuals. We deliver a personalized continuum of care that helps our clients improve the lives of their people and by doing so, improve their business.

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