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Mental health tops the list of expected employee demands in 2025
Mental health tops the list of expected employee demands in 2025
The latest research from Towergate Employee Benefits shows that mental health tops the list of expected employee needs in 2025, with nearly a third (31%) of employers stating they believe there will be an increased demand for support. Areas where employers think they will see an increased demand for support in the coming year:
- Mental health – 31%
- Financial wellbeing – 19%
- General fitness – 18%
- Male mental health – 17%
- Caring responsibilities – 16%
- Planning for retirement – 14%
- Line managers’ mental wellbeing – 14%
- Dental care – 13%
- Health screening in general – 13%
- 24/7 access to a virtual GP – 13%
- Menopause – 13%
If we take into account ‘male mental health’ and ‘line manager mental wellbeing’ along with the figure focusing generally on ‘mental health’, then in fact 62% of employers think there will be increased demand for mental health support and, of course, most of the other areas of concern can have a negative impact on mental health too.
Debra Clark, head of wellbeing at Towergate Employee Benefits, says: “The good news is that there are a growing number of ways in which employers are able to support the mental health needs of employees, from providing access to an Employee Assistance Programmes (EAPs) to inpatient psychiatric care. This greater provision has corresponded with increased awareness of the support available and an increased propensity to access it. All of this is hugely positive for the employee, but it does create growing expectations for the employer to provide ever-expanding support.”
Employers should look to experts to assist them in the choice of mental health support, and how to balance this with increased demand on other areas of assistance too. While mental health may top the list of requirements, helping employees to deal with their financial and caring responsibilities, along with their physical fitness, for example, will largely help to boost their mental health too.
The list of requirements for support is long and varied from employees. Some of the areas where employees are looking for support are very specific and only likely to apply to a smaller number of the workforce, including such matters as neurodiversity and fertility. It is important, therefore, that employers are able to offer health and wellbeing programmes that are adaptable and can be tailored towards specific needs. New areas of employee support are emerging all the time and include such diverse areas as eldercare, special needs and neurodiversity. The support for these is equally multi-faceted, including helping to find the best places for care and education, as well as guidance on funding, and mental health care for those impacted by caring responsibilities.
Debra Clark explains: “Support is becoming not only more diverse but also more specific. For instance, rather than just ‘mental health’, support can be tailored for each gender, or by age-group, and will often include a more holistic approach that looks at lifestyle, nutrition and building resilience too.’
With such a myriad of concerns being raised by employees and so many more options for meeting these needs, employers will need help in navigating the available choices and matching their support with the needs of their workforce. Some of the issues concerning employees, such as access to a GP, may be easy to address or even already available as an add-on to existing employee benefits. Other requirements, such as eldercare, may need much more specialist guidance, which is available but may be harder for employers to find, compare and select without expert assistance.
Debra Clark concludes: “Employees are being pulled in so many different directions, with a need to keep themselves, older relatives and younger dependants healthy and happy. Increasingly, people are now turning to their employer for assistance. Employers cannot and should not be expected to be experts in all these areas. They therefore need support and guidance, just as much as their employees do.”
OUT TODAY – March 2025 Issue of Hr NETWORK Magazine – NOW AVAILABLE!!
OUT TODAY – March 2025 Issue of Hr NETWORK Magazine
Hr NETWORK is ‘The Hub’ of Scottish HR and people development with an ‘Access All Areas’ pass to Scotland’s most influential human resource and business professionals across all sectors in Scotland. As well as readers from the world of HR, the magazine is also extremely popular within SME (Small and Medium Enterprise) organisations and is very useful for line managers, heads of department, senior management, managing directors and other professionals throughout the country who play a vital role in the development of people within all industry sectors in Scotland. Published bi-monthly, Hr NETWORK Magazine is informative and a ‘must have’ for its readers, and brings with it in every issue, great opportunities and benefits for advertisers and sponsors too.
Hr NETWORK Magazine March 2025
International Women’s Day: Empowered Women. Empowered World.
This year’s International Women’s Day on March 8th will redouble efforts to address many challenges such as gender pay gaps, the need for menopause support and leadership equity. Andy Moore examines some of the key themes for 2025.
Also in the latest issue:
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- NOMINATIONS OPEN for Hr NETWORK National Awards 2025
- Keynote Speakers for Hr NETWORK National Conference & Exhibition 2025
- The regular sections of the magazine include: News, STATS and EXTRA
- The ‘Insights’ section features first class comment from those in the know on a range of subjects including: Change Management; Pay & Reward; Diversity, Equity & Inclusion; Working From Home: 5 Years On
Click the front cover below to read the latest issue:
Pockets of optimism remain in recruitment
Pockets of optimism remain in recruitment
Workers continue to be optimistic about their job prospects despite the economic climate, but some regions are much more confident than others. That’s according to the latest data from international recruitment expert, Robert Half. According to a new study from the firm – carried out by insight agency Opinium between 4th February and 7th February 2025 – 55% of the workforce remain confident about their job security over the next six months, despite economic headwinds.
When asked why, 50% cited their performance and niche skills, while 20% indicated that their industry is growing or in demand, suggesting that on-going skills shortages and a tight labour market continue to put the power in the hands of highly skilled workers.
While the data reveals that worker confidence is high across the board, the statistics also highlighted regional divides when it comes to worker sentiment. In the London region, 64% of employees are confident in their job security, however this falls to 56% in the North West and 46% in the West Midlands.
Matt Weston at Robert Half commented: “The professional services sector continues to experience strong demand for talent, boosting worker confidence despite conflicting economic headlines. Our recent Hiring Intentions survey highlights UK business leaders’ plans to increase the hiring of specialised professionals. According to our data, 82% of businesses plan to make hires in finance and accounting, IT, customer service, and marketing & creative roles across all types of employment (permanent, contract and project based) during the first half of 2025, which in fact is a 5% increase on H2 2024. Nonetheless, the regional disparities that we see in worker confidence, likely driven by the availability or lack of nearby opportunities, suggests that the levelling up and growth agenda hasn’t yet created a level playing field across the country.
“The fact that 50% of employees cite their performance and skillset as the main driver for their job security confidence, compared to 20% who mention industry strength, indicates that systemic skills shortages will likely continue shaping a complex labour market in 2025. In this scenario, candidates, particularly in highly skilled professional services, hold the upper hand in the hiring process. Their expertise and in-demand skills give them the power to set expectations, negotiate favourable terms, and choose from multiple opportunities in their career progression. Given confident employees and a tight market, employers must adapt their talent strategies to align with regional workforce sentiments, invest in targeted training programs, and offer competitive compensation packages to stay ahead when attracting skilled professionals.”
How to support employees suffering from cancer
How to support employees suffering from cancer
Balancing work and cancer has become a major corporate social responsibility challenge for organisations, says Professor Rachel Beaujolin at NEOMA Business School. Each year, 160,000 employees in France receive a cancer diagnosis. This diagnosis fundamentally changes their personal and professional lives, with medical treatments, fatigue, and stigmas surrounding serious illness contributing to these employees reassessing their priorities.
For HR professionals, it raises a question: how can employees with cancer be supported in continuing to work without compromising their healthcare needs?
Beaujolin says that standardised solutions, rigid support frameworks, and uniform responses are well-intentioned but unfit for purpose. This is because cancer treatment is a complex journey, often influenced by unpredictability, such as side-effects of cancer treatment.
“This highlights the importance of tailoring working conditions to the specific needs of employees affected by the illness, as no two situations are the same,” she says.
Drawing on a study she published in the journal Revue Française de Gestion (French Management Review), she proposes three key strategies to support employees diagnosed with cancer:
- Adapting workplace conditions in line with the evolving needs of employees and their treatments.
- Encouraging informal conversations to better understand and adjust solutions on a daily basis.
- Transforming practices by introducing greater flexibility and inclusivity.
Her findings are based on academic analysis of prior studies and interviews with employees affected by cancer, while also pulling from her own experience with cancer, recorded in a logbook.
HR salary increases fall behind UK average
HR salary increases fall behind UK average
Research from recruitment company, Reed, shows that the HR industry is lagging behind the UK’s average salary growth, with HR salaries growing at just 4.8% in the past year, compared to average national salary increases of 6%.
However, certain roles in the sector are bucking this trend, with shared services managers, organisational development specialists and reward managers seeing increases of 21.6%, 15.2% and 11.5%, respectively, according to Reed’s data.
And despite last year’s salary growth sitting below the national 6% increase, HR salaries are still substantially more than the general workforce, with HR roles paying an average of £48,400 compared to the UK average salary £38,900. Despite this, many still remain unhappy with their salary – and, according to Reed’s research, 100% of those who are unhappy with their salaries said it was because it’s not risen in line with cost of living.
As part of Reed’s annual salary guides, it analysed more than 21 million job adverts and asked 5,000 UK workers a range of questions on their salary and benefits – both current and expected.
Alexia Catt Reed, said: “UK employees are navigating tough times and although some wages have risen, they generally don’t keep pace with inflation and the escalating cost of living. With more than three quarters (79%) of HR professionals open to new job opportunities, the sector needs to look at how best to incentivise and reward its workers. For employers unable to offer significant salary hikes, investing in strong, well-communicated benefits packages is essential. Tailored benefits can significantly impact employee satisfaction, signalling an organisation’s commitment to supporting work-life balance and wellbeing.
“Our survey showed that alongside salary increases, employees would feel more valued if they received more recognition for their achievements (27%), more flexible working hours (27%), clearer career progression (23%) and better communication from leadership (23%).”
20% of Brits are earning over £1,000 per month from side hustles
20% of Brits are earning over £1,000 per month from side hustles
Now that we’ve started the new year and people in the UK look to begin a new chapter, a change or alteration to a career path is popular amongst Brits, with 22,200 average monthly searches for “Side Hustles” since August 2024.
Adobe Express has conducted an extensive study, to find out the sectors people want to set up side hustles in, and their main reasons for doing it, as well as their concerns for starting the process. Adobe Express also spoke to those with side hustles to share their biggest areas of success, from finances to time management, their marketing tactics and the most successful side hustle industries.
Currently, the most popular sector people want to set up a side hustle in is the creative and arts space, in fact, one in five (21%) of those asked want to pursue this area, followed closely by retail and e-commerce (18%). Other industries include Technology and IT services (15%), Health and wellness (15%) and Education and tutoring (10%).
People in the UK shared their biggest concerns for venturing into a new project, with 36% confessing that time management and pressure is their biggest worry. Two-thirds (66%), said that generating extra income is their main reason for wanting to explore a side hustle, however 34% agreed it was essential that it was separate from their day job.
To help people in the UK start their side hustle journey, Adobe Express also spoke to people that currently have one, to help debunk any myths and showcase realistic guidance and successes from their work and their individual industries:
- To give an idea of financial success, 73% of people with side hustles are earning up to £500 per month, with 20% earning £1,000 or more
- In terms of time management, 72% of Brits are spending up to 10 hours per week on their side hustle project, whilst 18% spend 20 hours or more
- Regarding the success rates, 64% of Brits say their side hustle is a success so far
- When it comes to marketing, 35% of people say social media platforms have been their best way to share the brand, whilst 18% confirmed networking with other entrepreneurs helped grow their project
Which are the most successful industries to start a side hustle up in based on time and income?
- Information Technology is officially the most lucrative side hustle with 24% in this field earning over £1,000 per month, followed by Engineering and Manufacturing (20%) and Science and Pharmaceuticals (14%). The least lucrative side hustles are for those working in the teacher and education industry, with 54% earning less than £100 per month.
- The industries with the most time spent on them (more than 20 hours per week) are Information Technology (20%) and Engineering and Manufacturing (18%). Whilst those with the least amount of time spent per week (less than 5 hours) include Law (50%), Science and Pharmaceuticals (43%) and Healthcare (36%).