A recent UK study has revealed which sectors
are the most likely to need to take time off work for their mental wellbeing,
with healthcare topping the list (26%) followed by those working in the media
(23%) and those working in education (21%).

This research into the
mental wellbeing of Britons was conducted after the inventor of income
protection discovered that 7% of all claims made in 2018 were related to mental
health.

The team at www.Holloway.co.uk conducted the research to find out how each sector was affected by
absence relating to mental wellbeing. A total of 3,000 adults aged 18 and over
from the UK, were quizzed as part of the study. Respondents were split evenly
across 15 key sectors.

Initially,
participants were asked, “Have you ever taken time off work for your mental
health?” with the following emerging as the results for each sector: 

1. Healthcare – 26% (of employees have taken time
   off work for their mental wellbeing)
2. Media – 23%
3. Education – 21%
4. Banking/Finance – 19%
5. Public Sector – 17%
6. HR/Personnel – 15%
7. Retail – 13%
8. Marketing – 12%
9. Construction – 11%
10. Transport/Travel – 9%

When asked
to elaborate on the reason for their mental wellbeing-related absence from
work, if they felt comfortable doing so, the vast majority blamed it on
burnout/stress (68%).

Relevant
respondents were found to have taken an average of three weeks off for their
mental wellbeing; of which a third (34%) said they received their full pay
during this time and 57% said they received reduced pay.

Of those
who had suffered with their mental health, just 1 in 5 (21%) said that they had
gone to speak to a professional about this, with those that didn’t citing long
wait times (78%) and not knowing where to turn (20%) as reasons.

Finally,
relevant participants were asked if they believed that their work had
contributed to their poor mental health to which 9 in 10 (92%) said that they
thought it had.

Georgia d’Esterre, Head of Marketing at www.Holloway.co.uk, said:

“Looking after your
mental health is often far harder than looking after your physical self. After
finding that 1 in 14 of our claims last year were related to mental wellbeing,
we wanted to see how each sector is affected by this growing crisis. With mental
health services overstretched and employees having to work harder than ever
before just to make ends meet, we need to remember to take the time to look
after ourselves.

“The horrid thing is that
money is often a massive cause for worry which can contribute to mental health
issues. Having to take prolonged time off work can be scary in these situations
as your pay is never guaranteed. This is a prime example of why more needs to
be done to educate people on the importance of income protection.”