{"id":4684,"date":"2021-04-27T08:43:50","date_gmt":"2021-04-27T08:43:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/28april.org\/?p=4684"},"modified":"2021-04-27T08:43:50","modified_gmt":"2021-04-27T08:43:50","slug":"uk-workers-suffering-mental-health-epidemic-linked-to-pandemic-stress-unite-survey-reveals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/28april.org\/?p=4684","title":{"rendered":"UK: Workers suffering mental health \u2018epidemic\u2019 linked to pandemic stress, Unite survey reveals"},"content":{"rendered":"

Workers are suffering a mental health\u00a0\u2018epidemic\u2019,<\/em>\u00a0a UK and Ireland-wide survey of Unite workplace representatives has revealed.<\/p>\n

Unite, the UK and Ireland\u2019s largest union, said there is a\u00a0\u2018clear link\u2019\u00a0<\/em>between the increase in stress brought on by the pandemic and called on employers to help prevent the crisis being carried forward as the country opens up.<\/p>\n

The health and safety-focused survey<\/a> of 1,400 Unite reps, from across all sectors of the economy, found that 83 per cent are dealing with an increase in members reporting mental health-related problems.<\/p>\n

Mental health issues also came top of workers\u2019\u00a0concerns during a\u00a0similar survey<\/a>\u00a0last year. However, there has been a huge\u00a018-point increase from the\u00a065\u00a0per cent reported in 2020.<\/p>\n

The survey also found that regulators and health authorities carrying out workplace visits are not routinely speaking to union reps. These organisations include the Health and Safety Executive, local authorities, Public Health England\/Wales and others.<\/p>\n

Only a third of respondents whose workplaces had been visited reported that inspectors had spoken to reps during the visit, despite it being vital to gaining an accurate picture of health and safety on site.<\/p>\n

Unite called the finding\u00a0\u2018alarming\u2019<\/em>\u00a0as it had previously raised the\u00a0‘potentially dangerous’\u00a0<\/em>issue with regulators, who all insisted that speaking to reps during visits is a matter of course.<\/p>\n

The union said regulators need to begin\u00a0publishing\u00a0records on whether workplace reps have been spoken to, something they are not currently required to do.<\/p>\n

Unite assistant general secretary Gail Cartmail said:\u00a0\u201cThis survey shows there is an epidemic of mental health issues being suffered by workers across all sectors of the economy.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cApril is Stress Awareness Month and employers need to be aware that there is a\u00a0clear link between the explosion in mental ill-health and the stressors of the pandemic.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cAs the country and the economy come out of the coronavirus freeze, the\u00a0after effects\u00a0of the pandemic are still going to be felt, including their impact on people\u2019s mental health.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cDuring the week of International Workers’ Memorial Day, we should remember that many workers not only paid a physical price during the fight against Covid-19, but a psychological one too.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cEmployers need to be aware of this and in partnership with trade unions implement mental health friendly policies to help prevent the psychological toll of the pandemic being carried forward longer than it needs to be.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cThe survey also revealed a worrying trend of regulators not speaking to union reps during workplace safety inspections. This means regulators\u00a0are not getting a full and accurate picture of the environments they are visiting, which is\u00a0potentially dangerous.\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cUnite has raised this issue before with all the relevant regulators and health authorities, but it is clear it is not being addressed.\u00a0Direction\u00a0requiring them to publish\u00a0records of speaking to reps during visits is now needed.\u201d\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

ENDS<\/p>\n

The survey\u2019s full findings are available here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.unitetheunion.org\/news-events\/news\/2021\/april\/workers-suffering-mental-health-epidemic-linked-to-pandemic-stress-unite-survey-reveals\/<\/a><\/p>\n

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