Half of SME employees say working from home negatively affects mental health

Findings from a recent study show that there is little additional support from SME’s to meet employee wellbeing standards when working from home, as many make a more permanent change after lockdown. The Working from Home study, conducted by Wildgoose, surveyed employees from 133 companies throughout the UK as the Covid-19 lockdown eases. They were asked how their working day differs at home compared to in the office, whether they would be happy to continue working from home after lockdown is ended, and how companies could improve home working practices.

Nearly half (47 percent) of employees at SME’s are finding that their mental health has been impacted by working from home. The study asked SME employees whether they could identify issues with team communication, desk setup, or working hours with the new working environment – just 22 percent of respondents stated that they have no issues.

Despite the challenges posed, the study found that 89 percent of workers in SMEs wanted to continue in working from home, compared to 74 percent of employees overall, and 69 percent of those working at companies with 1,000+ employees. This suggests that small businesses in particular face the greatest pressure to create a structure to address the issues – adequate support should be introduced to ensure wellbeing and productivity.

What do SME employees want from their companies when working from home?

• Casual contact. 3 in every 5 (60 percent) of employees at SMEs stated that they missed seeing their workmates and spending time with them face-to-face
• Social time. Nearly half (47 percent) of SME employees would like more social contact with workmates as part of the working day via integrated communications, like daily video catch-ups and quizzes
• Wellbeing support. 47 percent stated that their mental health is being impacted by isolation at home, a sub-optimal working environment, and other aspects of WFH

When it comes to specific ways in which employees want their companies to improve home working practices, there were similarities between SMEs, medium to large companies and very large companies. However, the study also found key differences in how companies of varying sizes have adapted to the shift in working patterns.

Respondents of the ‘Working From Home’ study were asked about their daily habits in their new workspace away from the office, and measured these against elements that are known to help employee wellbeing.  Among the most common problems with WFH identified by the survey were:

• Not taking the health and safety recommended hourly desk breaks (47 percent)
• Failing to take breaks for physical activity or stretching (50 percent)
• Uncomfortable and impractical desks and equipment (45 percent)
• Working excessive hours (36 percent)

Image by Mylene2401