Big gap between expectations and reality of mental well-being at work
Our society places increasing importance on mental and physical well-being, even in the workplace. This brings certain expectations from employees towards their employers. However, it seems there’s a gap: only 38% of employees feel that the promise of ‘attention to mental well-being’ is being met. "Research shows that the academic sector is a high-risk group."
Labour and organisational psychologist Professor Tim Vantilborgh from VUB, together with KU Leuven and IDEWE – Belgium’s largest external service for prevention and workplace safety – investigated employees' expectations and the extent to which these were being met regarding wellbeing.
Were you surprised by the results of the study?
"Sevenout of ten employees in the study said that they found attention to mental and physical wellbeing and work-life balance important and that they saw this as an obligation for the employer. The fact that 38% feel their expectations aren't met doesn't come as a complete surprise."
Why is that?
"In recent years, we’ve noticed a struggle with mental wellbeing in the workplace. The COVID crisis only highlighted this issue. Burnout rates have been steadily rising over the last decade. This is often linked to a changing work environment, where organisations are trying to achieve the same output with fewer resources. Things like digital transformations can also cause a lot of stress."
"We were somewhat surprised by the lower score regarding early signs of burnout and stress. People didn’t see it as much of an obligation for organisations to detect these early on. One possible explanation could be that discussions about burnout are still often seen as something individuals need to tackle themselves. Personally, I find that strange because a burnout is a combination of both the work environment and personal factors."
"When a team member drops out, the workload increases for the others"
What are the main causes of mental health issues at work?
"If you look at the factors that lead to stress or burnout, it's often the relationship with one’s manager or conflicts with colleagues. Chronic work pressure and working with barely achievable deadlines also play a role. Another issue is the lack of disconnection, with people finding it difficult to build moments of rest into their daily lives. Without disconnection, it’s impossible to recover from the stressors they experience."
What are the consequences?
"They’re enormous for society. The cost in Europe runs into the billions, and organisations benefit financially by paying attention to mental wellbeing. As a society, we also benefit because significant sums are spent supporting people who are forced to drop out. It’s difficult for families too when someone experiences burnout. It’s a huge challenge to get through such a situation together. The same goes for colleagues. When someone drops out from a team, the workload increases for the others, and burnout can spread like wildfire."
How can employers provide solutions?
“First and foremost, pay attention to what matters to employees in terms of well-being. Not all employers are aware of the obligations that employees have in this area. This creates the risk of rifts in the relationship. Attention can be paid to this through training or further education for managers.”
Don’t some managers face the same issues themselves?
"Absolutely. Many find themselves in a complex position because they too have superiors to answer to. They want to pay attention to employee wellbeing, but at the same time, they face pressure from higher up to achieve certain goals. That’s why it’s important to have an organisational culture where there’s attention to wellbeing at all levels."
How is VUB doing in this regard?
"I can’t comment on that based on this research, as the sample wasn’t specifically taken from VUB staff. However, research does show that the academic sector is a high-risk group. PhD students, for example, can struggle with mental health issues, partly due to the uncertainty about future employment and the pressure they face."
What can we expect from your research in the future?
"With my team of doctoral students, we hope to be able to monitor the development of burnout within a year using a targeted tool. This will enable us to predict, to a greater or lesser extent, whether someone is entering a risk zone. This will enable employers to identify aspects of the working environment that require attention. Factors such as work pressure and a lack of autonomy are examples of such aspects. We also hope to develop a tool that can assist us in diagnosing burnout. At present, there is still no established method for diagnosing this condition."
Bio
Tim Vantilborgh is a professor of Work and Organizational Psychology at VUB. He conducts research on psychological contracts, well-being at work, and the dynamics of work-related phenomena over time. He is also active in numerous research projects on work stress, burnout, and mental health, and publishes regularly in peer-reviewed journals. Outside of academia, he also works as a data science consultant and is involved in consultancy and media as an expert on work-related topics. His scientific work has been recognized with awards such as the FWO Acerta Award.
