The managerial wellbeing crisis needs tackling now

Employee mental health in the UK seems to be at an all-time low. While this may not come as a surprise to many, businesses are discovering that the responsibility of addressing this issue is increasingly falling on their managers.

Due to a lack of suitable professional support frameworks, managers are quietly stepping in to help their struggling team members. According to research from Perkbox, almost 9-in-10 managers feel responsible for their team’s wellbeing. However, this support comes at a significant cost.

Providing emotional support places additional strain on managers, especially in a high-pressure business environment. Perkbox research found that 73% of managers believe they and their team are expected to accomplish more with fewer resources.

Having to find ways to support the mental health of their employees, on top of managing an increasing workload, is creating a painful experience for managers, impacting their own wellbeing.

Carrying the financial burden

While providing wellbeing support is not new to HR and people teams, this is now also becoming part of a line managers’ day-to-day role, as they increasingly shoulder the burdens of their team members – including financial worries.

In fact, 72% of managers report that they are now more concerned for the financial wellbeing of their team members, while 62% say their teams increasingly need advice on non-work issues such as the rising cost-of-living.

Providing this type of specialist support places managers in a potentially uncomfortable position, as they are forced to provide advice in areas where they may not feel qualified. It also risks them providing incorrect or misguided advice. Taking on this additional burden is bound to have an impact on managers, and it is no wonder that their own wellbeing has taken a hit.

First and foremost, businesses should address this by ensuring that their employees are paid fair market rates. Second, it is imperative that they acknowledge the challenges faced by both their employees and managers, as well as offer solutions and support tailored to individual needs. This translates, for example, into benefits that give employees the freedom to choose the support they believe will provide them with the greatest impact.

This will offer all employees greater support directly from their employers, reducing the pressure on managers to shoulder the burden of care.

Winging it amid job creep

Despite these expanding manager responsibilities, other job expectations have not evolved to accommodate the new tasks managers are taking on. Rather, 57% of managers say that increased pressure from business leaders has made it much more difficult to support their team’s wellbeing.

Indeed, many are not even receiving the training or the tools from their employer to support this shift in workplace dynamics.

Some managers have taken it upon themselves to upskill. Over three quarters (77%) report having to independently develop new skills and competencies to fulfil their expanded managerial role. Meanwhile, 64% say that despite being expected to offer meaningful wellbeing support to their teams, they are not being given adequate tools to do this.

Leaders cannot afford to overlook this issue. Besides offering proper pay and a choice of benefits to employees, it is crucial to invest in comprehensive training and professional development for line managers. This commitment benefits everyone by ensuring managers feel recognized for their increased responsibilities and understand the value of acquiring these new skills.

Every cloud has a silver lining

Despite the negative impacts, however, there are some beneficial aspects to this shift manager-managee dynamics. Indeed, the uptick in such personal, open conversations in the workplace has increased the sense of trust between managers and their teams.

In turn, this has resulted in stronger, more supportive team dynamics, with close to two-thirds of managers (65%) saying that their relationship with their team has improved.

What’s more, managers are keen to go on providing this kind of personal support to their teams, with 61% believing that looking after their team’s well-being should fall within their remit. To do so effectively, however, they must be assisted by business leaders.

Managers are embracing their new responsibilities and are eager to support their teams’ wellbeing. To sustain this, business leaders must champion and reward their managers by implementing effective structures and guidelines, while providing the necessary tools to manage all aspects of their teams’ needs. Importantly, this must be achieved while also prioritising the well-being of the managers themselves.

Businesses cannot take their managers’ goodwill for granted, as they risk losing it quickly. By acknowledging the job creep managers are experiencing and taking proactive steps to provide the right support, businesses will strengthen the workplace culture while ensuring that managers and their teams feel recognised and rewarded. Creating a supportive framework for managers now will benefit both employees and the business in the future.

Mona Akiki

Mona Akiki is the Chief People Officer at Perkbox