UK Tech Needs a Mental Health Check, According to Harvey Nash Survey

News provided by

Harvey Nash Group

09 Oct, 2019, 23:00 GMT

 - Half of tech professionals in the UK (+600,000) have been concerned about their state of mental health due to work

 - 1 in 5 professionals that work in IT operations are currently affected by mental health concerns

 - 'Unsupportive' companies are almost three times more likely to have people who are concerned about their mental health right now

 - Those working over 50 hours a week are twice as likely to be concerned by their mental health

LONDON, Oct. 10, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Half of the UK's tech professionals have been concerned about their mental health due to work, either in the past or right now. This is equivalent to over 600,000 UK tech professionals1 having had mental health concerns as a result of their work.

The Harvey Nash Tech Survey, which surveyed over 2,000 tech professionals, also found that 1 in 5 workers in IT Operations are currently concerned about their mental health.

The causes of stress? 

The single highest cause of stress is being short of staff. This has become a major issue as recently revealed by the Harvey Nash/KPMG CIO Survey which found that the UK's tech industry is experiencing the highest skills shortage for more than a decade, with almost two thirds of CIOs (64%) reporting a shortfall of talent. It seems that the existing tech team are the ones being stretched to breaking point to make up for this.

Tech professionals are most likely to be currently affected by mental health concerns if they:

  • Work 60+ hours per week – 21%
  • Work in IT operations– 20%
  • Work for a very small company (revenue <$1m) - 17%
  • Work in retail or leisure – 22%

Albert Ellis:

"Good work/life balance is key to retaining and attracting tech talent and keeping them well and happy. But our survey shows that the tech sector has further to go - and more still needs to be done to attract a wider range of people into the industry. Part of this is about showing the individual how a job will work with their own personal life, not just highlighting how amazing the job will be.

"With so much set to change so quickly in the coming years, it's vital that the tech sector makes itself resilient by looking after its people and giving them the support and flexible tools they need."

Please see full press release here.

Contacts:
David Pippett
ProServ PR
david@proservpr.com  
+44(0)7899-798197

Michelle Thomas
Marketing and Digital, Harvey Nash plc
michelle.thomas@harveynash.com
+44(0)20-7333-0033

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