Mental Health And The Labour Market

GUEST BLOG - WRITTEN BY NANCY TAYLOR (MANAGER AT https://uk.jobsora.com/)

The mental health topic is fast becoming a well-discussed one, and rightfully so.

One’s mental state affects all part of one’s life as well as the society where that particular individual finds themselves.

Mental health discussions encompass all areas but still, not much focus is placed on the relationship between mental health and the labour market. Read on for all you need to know about mental health and the labour market.

Employers' Perspective

The employers’ perspective of the labour market has an impact on both employees and job seekers. Since they are at the upper end of the spectrum, their mental health doesn’t particularly feel the brunt of the labour market compared to the employees and job seekers. This doesn’t mean that they are never affected by the labour market, though. Below is how mental health affects labour from the employer’s perspective.

Job Seekers aren’t Skilled and Competent Enough

Contrary to most job seekers’ notion that there are no jobs, employers believe that there are jobs. In fact, employers believe that jobs are plentiful, but there are no skilful hands and competent minds to take up those jobs. Since employers need to employ people to get the company’s operations done, they need human labour competent enough to carry out those activities.

Sadly, most graduates of today are not skilled enough to be employed. Yes, they passed through colleges and universities, but that is the only thing they have to their credit. The 21st-century workplace has moved past the level of employing people that are theoretically-oriented.

They need people who have skills to their credit, people who are multi-faceted enough to take up the challenges of an innovative workplace. The inability to employ people that meet those requirements tends to affect the employer’s mental health. Imagine having an employee that is not tech-savvy during this work from home era.

Definitely, it will affect the workflow. This and other competency problems are what employers want to avoid because incompetent workers reduce a company’s overall productivity and ability to evolve with emerging trends.

Job Seekers’ Perspective

Job seekers are the most stressed-out group in the labour market spectrum. Particularly during this era where millions of people are out looking for a job, employers have the opportunity to be picky with people.

Lots of job seekers apply for jobs for extended periods before they are finally able to land employment.

During the job seeking and application period, job seekers usually face diverse hardships that tend to affect their mental health. Here are some job seekers’ notions that could impact their mental well-being.

i. There are no Jobs

Job seekers believe that there are no jobs, or at least that they are limited. It is not uncommon to see job-seekers complaining about the unavailability of jobs or that the jobs available are beneath their standards.

Contrary to this popular opinion among job seekers there are millions of job offers on platforms like LinkedIn, Jobsora, and other topnotch jobs and professions platforms.

Admittedly, many people are applying for those jobs, but the fact remains that there are jobs. The main issue is that lots of job seekers don’t have what it takes to get those jobs.

Nothing sets them apart from the rest. If you want to actively get into the job-seeking race and hitch employment, you should be prepared to stand out. Try to acquire beneficial skills. Endeavour to enrol for diverse courses and specifications to build your CV and portfolio.

You can also volunteer at diverse organisations and gain beneficial experience. Overall, you should network skillfully. Try to connect with diverse people, get close to top people in your proposed field.

They could refer you for jobs and professional programs. You could network through LinkedIn, Twitter, and professional conferences. With all these in place, you’d win the job-seeking race fast and move up the spectrum to the employer’s level. Also, you’d be in a better mental state than when you were feeling the pressure of job seeking.

ii. Available Jobs have Unrealistic Requirements

Job seekers believe that there are mostly little or no jobs, and even the few jobs available have unrealistic expectations like being between 20-24 years old and with ten years of working experience, among others.

While this may be true in some cases, it’s not that way with all jobs. Some job seekers only make these claims about unrealistic requirements because they, themselves, don’t have those requirements. But like it has been said above, if you gain more skills, enrol for professional development courses and certifications, you’d feel qualified for many topnotch jobs in no time. This would reduce your stress and anxiety while enabling you to maintain an overall balanced mental health.

Employee’s Perspective

Just like the job seekers, employees also frequently face circumstances and situation within and outside the workplace that tends to affect their mental health. Here are some labour notions that could impact their mental health.

i. Employers aren’t Paying Well

It affects employees to think about their pay. Most of them have financial responsibilities that require lots of money. Of course, if their jobs aren’t paying well, it would affect those responsibilities, and by extension their mental health. Also, since they aren’t at their best mentally, their work productivity may reduce.

As an employee, if you feel that you are paid beneath your professional worth, you should speak to your boss or HR manager to discuss the situation. And if it doesn’t yield any positive results, you can consider applying to better organisations. But before taking this step, endeavour to consult a career consultant.

ii. Employers are Overworking us

Before receiving a salary at the end of the month, you must have worked for it during the month, except when on leave. That’s the law of working and earning. For this reason, it is not surprising that employers would want their staff to work hard and be productive for the company.

But while trying to ensure that their employees work hard, some employers end up overworking their staff. This tends to affect the employees, both mentally and physically. Some employees spend long hours on the job with little or no overtime compensation.

All these could impact the employee’s overall productivity. That is why topnotch firms endeavour to pay their employees well, give them bonuses and job benefits as well as create an opportunity for leisure activities.

Conclusion

Improving your mental health starts with you. Whether you are a job seeker, an employer, or an employee, you should make conscious efforts to boost your mental health at all times. If you feel pressured unduly, try to find a way around the situation. Also, try to get enough rest to boost creativity, recovery, and productivity. Remember, all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. However, if your mental health situation becomes overwhelming, you should see your therapist as soon as possible.

For more information on how hypnotherapy can help you deal with anxiety, please go to www.whitakerhypnotherapy.co.uk

(Written by Nancy Taylor - Manager at https://uk.jobsora.com/)