Blue Monday in tech: how employers can promote employee health and wellbeing

The UK tech industry is often charaterised by its competitiveness, long working hours, and heavy workloads. The last couple of years in particular have been some of the most stressful for tech employees. With much of the UK workforce operating from home amid COVID-19, businesses have come to rely heavily on those with specialist tech and IT skills.

According to a 2021 report from Harvey Nash, mental health concerns among tech workers have increased by 75% since COVID-19. Pre-pandemic, a report by BIMA in 2019 highlighted that people working in the tech industry are five times more likely to be depressed than the general population, with 52% having experienced anxiety or depression at some point. Worryingly, 45% also reported that there is not enough mental health and support in their company.

This year, Blue Monday awareness is more important than ever. At CWJobs, we would encourage employers to embrace a wider discussion on employee wellbeing and mental health in the UK tech industry. To support employees’ wellbeing and protect them from burnout, companies need to have robust support systems in place.

Let’s take a closer look at how tech employers can promote employee health and wellbeing this Blue Monday and beyond:

What is Blue Monday?

 Since 2005, the third Monday of January has been known as ‘Blue Monday’. It’s considered the most depressing day of the year due to a combination of post-Christmas blues, cold dark nights and the arrival of credit card bills.

The term was coined by Sky Travel Shop, a television channel that focused on travel, documentaries, and commercials for travel agencies. The channel created a formula for calculating the ‘bluest’ day of the year using a combination of weather conditions, debt levels and the average time it takes to break new year resolutions.

Although the formula is discredited by scientists, it nevertheless provides an opportunity for people to address their general health and wellbeing. Around this time of year, many people report feeling down and lacking in motivation due to the colder weather and end of holiday festivities.

How COVID-19 has impacted tech workers’ wellbeing

According to a recent report published by Advanced Workplace, those who manage digital, hybrid teams may not be able to see the invisible strains on employees who are trying to balance their workloads with home life.

The report claims that the challenge of managing mental workload is becoming critical and that companies need to be aware of how to mitigate employee burnout. Indeed, a 2021 article in The Guardian reports that UK workers have increased their working week by almost 25%.

For many tech employees, working from home has meant a change in routine. With no commutes, the boundaries between work and leisure time have become ever more blurred.

Software company meQuilibrium’s recent white paper on the impact of Covid-19 on workforce resilience finds that tech workers suffered the broadest negative changes of any industry, with increases in job stress (11%), disordered sleep (14%), and burnout (23%). There was also a 30% drop in motivation.

In the tech industry in particular, employees are often asked to meet unrealistic deadlines, which means increased periods of focus for longer periods of time. Despite the UK tech industry’s quick recovery during the pandemic, the fear of missing out on future opportunities can lead to ‘presenteeism’, where employees work through illnesses, which can increase background stress levels.

How companies can support tech workers on Blue Monday and beyond

Here are our top tips for how employers can develop robust support systems for protecting employees against stress and burnout:

Check in with employees and listen to their support needs

Staff surveys can be a good way of gauging stress levels in a company and can help employers identify ways of supporting workers. It’s important for managers to acknowledge when their team is stressed and to raise the issue on a department or company-wide level.

Identifying wellbeing support needs enables employers to take action and provide options to those who need help. A 2018 study reported by Zevo Health found that a physical activity program helped lower weight, improve occupational stress levels, increase job satisfaction and quality of life in overweight high-tech employees.

Companies like Airbnb for example, provides free yoga classes to its employees. Nike has relaxation rooms, and Apple provides its employees with regular mindfulness training.

Similarly, a 2021 survey by CIPHR finds that 35% of workers say their health is a big cause of stress. As such, organising company-wide activities such as step tracker competitions and virtual fitness classes can encourage staff to look after their health and wellbeing collectively.

Providing employees with the opportunity to express how they feel can ensure that preventative measures are put in place early.

Embrace flexible working long-term

One of the principal ways employers can support tech workers is to enable flexible working long-term. With the technology and logistics already in place, most companies are already in a strong position to roll out flexible working options for the foreseeable future.

Harvey Nash reports that although stress has increased throughout the pandemic, most tech workers have benefited from the greater flexibility that working from home has brought.

It reports that the number of tech workers who are happy in their role increased to almost two thirds (63%) in 2021, and that there were fewer tech workers unhappy in their role than in 2020. Harvey Nash also reports that three quarters (75%) of tech workers globally, want to continue working from home for the majority of the week (3-5 days) after the pandemic.

Provide employee counselling

According to the CIPD’s 2021 Health and Wellbeing at Work report, just over a third of employers are focusing more on providing virtual health services. Virtual counselling for example, is personal and direct and provides workers with the opportunity to talk to a qualified professional about their wellbeing and receive live responses.

Telephone counselling is another option that can work as a face-to-face alternative and can be conducted anywhere. It allows for a lot of flexibility and still provides employees with the chance to express how they feel and receive instant feedback.

 An increasing number of companies are also embracing email and live chat counselling, which can reduce the intensity of the experience and increase the sense of anonymity.

Communicate your efforts to support employee wellbeing

Companies that demonstrate how they’re supporting their employees are more likely to be viewed as desirable places to work.

CWJobs’ platform provides employers with the opportunity to showcase how their company supports employees’ mental wellbeing. Our premium job ads can also be used to highlight mental health support, work-life balance and flexible working policies.

In creating a company profile on our platform, employers can help candidates get a feel for what it’s like to work for the company. We also provide up-to-date market insights that reflect the thoughts and feelings of the UK’s tech workforce.