\nDespite these percentages, workers are often afraid to seek help, the Unum study showed.<\/p>\n
\nMore than 60% of employees believe there\u2019s a social stigma in the workplace toward colleagues who have mental health issues, and 81% said they believe that stigma is keeping employees from seeking help.<\/p>\n
\n![](\"https:\/\/insurancenews.s3.amazonaws.com\/InnMagazine\/mental-illness-sidelining-chart.jpg\")
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\nNearly one-third (32%) of workers with mental health issues have not told anyone at work, 28% have told their manager, 25% have disclosed to coworkers other than their manager, 20% disclosed on their employment application and 19% told their human resource department.<\/p>\n
\nNearly 40% of those who did not disclose their mental health issue said they feared discrimination or harassment by colleagues. More than one-quarter said they were ashamed to disclose their mental health issue.<\/p>\n
\nWhat is triggering mental health issues at work?<\/p>\n
\n\u201cWhat we found in the research is that the key issues for mental health issues are bucketed into health, finances and work,\u201d said Michelle Jackson, assistant vice president of regional market development at Unum. \u201cSomebody\u2019s own health condition can trigger a mental health issue. Finances are a big bucket \u2014 67% said finances have triggered a mental health issue. And then we also see the health of a loved one, job satisfaction and personal relationships factoring in to mental health.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nMental Health Keeping Workers Off The Job<\/h2>\n
\nNearly one-third of the year \u2014 112 days. That\u2019s the average length of time employees are out of work on disability because of a mental health condition, according to research from The Standard.<\/p>\n
\nThe disability insurance provider released the results of a study that showed employee absence and disability are challenging employers in a tight job market. Mental illness is a major reason why employees are off the job, the study found.<\/p>\n
\nNearly two-thirds (64%) of employers with more than 2,500 workers and 38% of employers overall reported they receive requests to accommodate mental health conditions at least once a year.<\/p>\n
\nIn addition, The Standard\u2019s study showed that the two biggest challenges in dealing with mental health issues in the workplace are that workers hide their conditions and managers don\u2019t know how to recognize them.<\/p>\n
\nMeanwhile, Unum\u2019s study found workers with mental health issues displayed a high rate of presenteeism \u2014 lost productivity and performance due to employees showing up at work when they\u2019re sick, exhausted or too distracted by their personal issues to focus on their tasks. More than two-thirds of those workers said they have been at work while feeling stressed, depressed or upset and have been less productive because of their feelings.<\/p>\n
\nAmong workers with mental health issues, 63% have taken time off for their issue, and nearly a third (28%) of these gave a reason other than their mental health issue for their absence.<\/p>\n
\nThe majority of those (54%) who stepped away from the workplace for a while used paid time off or vacation days. Others used Family and Medical Leave Act or unpaid leave (27%), floating holidays (6%) or they did not log the time (12%). Seventy percent did not inform their manager that a mental health issue was the reason they were out.<\/p>\n
\nOf those with mental health issues, 46% have taken an extended amount of time off work (more than a week) for reasons directly related to their condition. Of these, 11% did not want to return to work and 36% said they knew they needed to go back but were hesitant to return. The Unum study said this illustrates an opportunity to make these employees feel supported in their return to work.<\/p>\n
\nWhat Can Brokers Do?<\/h2>\n
\nBrokers can help employers and their workers navigate health issues and financial stressors through the right benefits package, and by educating HR professionals and employees about the mental health resources that are available, Jackson said.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cThere are multiple factors that are going to result in stress and somebody being absent from work,\u201d she said. \u201cSo if a benefits consultant is approaching an employer, they need to understand that the employer is trying to meet the needs of the employee in a number of ways \u2014typically, medical, dental, vision, ancillary benefits and then you get into the scope of disability, illness and life insurance.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nSo understanding that financial stress and health issues are two of the biggest triggers for mental health issues, if we can start that conversation that benefits can help to solve those stressors, benefits can be a solution to those stressors that are triggering mental health issues at work.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nEmployers have resources available to help workers with mental health issues. More than 90% said they have an employee assistance program in the workplace. But only 38% of workers said they are aware of such a program.<\/p>\n
\nThe benefits consultant who can connect the mental health discussion with the benefits discussion will be seen as a solution partner to their employer clients, Jackson said.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cIf we know that mental illness and mental stress are prevalent, and we know workers are coming to work feeling that way, we think we\u2019ve done a great job of developing resources for them,\u201d she added, \u201cbut clearly there\u2019s a disconnect with the understanding of what those benefits are.\u201d<\/p>\n