Nearly half of UK workers say personal and family responsibilities are harming their careers, according to new research from Bupa. The health insurer said 47 per cent of working adults reported the effect, which it estimates at 16.3 million people.
For 14 per cent of workers, the pressure affects their work daily or frequently, Bupa said.
The research points to the demands of everyday life, rather than major life events alone, as the main source of strain. Bupa cited rising household bills, unexpected emergency costs, childcare logistics and caring for older relatives as contributors to what it called the mental load.
According to Bupa, almost a third of workers (32 per cent) struggle to concentrate on tasks because of pressures from home, while 20 per cent say they become far less productive.
Nearly one in five (18 per cent) find it difficult to make clear decisions, and 16 per cent said they had missed deadlines because of the pressures they face outside work.
Money worries feature prominently in the findings. A third of workers (33 per cent) told Bupa that anxiety about monthly household bills contributes significantly to their mental load, and 31 per cent said they live in constant fear of unexpected household costs.
A further 24 per cent said they feel the emotional pressure of being the main financial provider for their household.
One in 10 workers said they feel trapped in jobs that overwhelm them because the cost of living means they cannot afford to leave, Bupa said.
The research also suggests that much of the strain goes unseen at work. One in six workers (16 per cent) said they actively hide their worries from colleagues and managers.
Separate figures from the Bupa Wellbeing Index, the insurer’s annual survey of more than 8,000 UK adults, found that 56 per cent of respondents had delayed seeking support because they could not afford the disruption of taking time off.
The index found that 41 per cent had worked through illness, while 15 per cent said the pressure had become so difficult they had taken time off work entirely.
Bupa said the findings showed the difficulty of separating work from home life, with employees physically present at their desks but with their attention divided by bills and family responsibilities.
Shazna Khanom, head of clinical mental health at Bupa, said: “Life doesn’t stop when the work day starts. Financial pressures, caring responsibilities and the constant demands of day-to-day life can leave many of us feeling overwhelmed before we’ve even opened our inboxes. With mounting end of year pressures fast approaching, many of us are finding it harder to concentrate, make decisions and feel on top of things.”
She added: “When we’re juggling so much, it can be easy to dismiss how we’re feeling as part of everyday life, or that we should be able to manage everything ourselves. But when these pressures start to affect our wellbeing, it’s important to recognise this and reach out for support when we need it.”
The Bupa Wellbeing Index estimates that poor mental health costs the UK economy £16.34bn each year. It puts the loss from presenteeism alone, where people remain at work but their mental health affects their performance, at 33.4 million productivity-equivalent days.
The figures add to a body of recent research on the cost of ill health at work. Simplyhealth estimated last month that 17 million working days had been lost to mental ill-health in the UK so far this year.
Workforce health has also been the focus of the Get Britain Working taskforce led by Sir Charlie Mayfield, the former John Lewis chairman, which had signed up more than 250 employers by July.
Bupa used the research to promote its Mindplace centres, which offer face-to-face and online talking therapies, including counselling, psychology and cognitive behavioural therapy, to Bupa insured and self-pay customers.
“Talking to a mental health professional can help us make sense of what we’re experiencing and find ways to manage the pressures we face,” Ms Khanom said. “You don’t have to wait until it feels unmanageable to ask for help.”
