Continuing the Conversation: Mental Wellbeing in UK Research 2021
When we launched our mental wellbeing audit report with the MRS in 2019, we hoped to help fellow agencies and in-house teams implement better wellbeing practices and accelerate change in workplaces across the market research industry. We’ve certainly seen many improvements across the sector, with companies and leaders attempting to do more for their employees and introducing new initiatives and programmes.
In the report in 2020, we focussed on the impact on the coronavirus outbreak and found that whilst we were faced with uncertainty and numerous challenges, many of us benefited from the fact that we were lucky enough to work from home. However, this year’s study, our third since the audit’s launch, has found that the benefits of working from home have been overshadowed by a blurring of work and rest, impending deadlines, and excessive workloads.
Whilst as a sector we have made great strides, long hours and demanding deadlines are still a great cause of stress and burnout for us all. Ultimately, the report found that employees want flexibility and trust. The flexibility to choose working patterns that suit them and trust from their employer that more autonomy does not mean reduced productivity or effort.
There is much more than can be done. We hope this report gives agencies and in-house teams the insights they need to help accelerate improved mental wellbeing in their teams and collectively we can improve wellbeing in our sector.
Click the image below to read the full report:
