Opinion: Scott Wright: As lockdown conditions become part of life again, are employers doing enough to protect mental health?

The platform given by Hearts had special meaning for the Hutchison family, given that Scott, who died in 2018, was a life-long supporter of the club.

It was also extremely timely, too, in light of the horrendous loss of jobs endured by young people since the pandemic struck, and the subsequent strain this is placing on mental health.

With infection rates spiralling once again, and businesses facing a winter of severe trading restrictions under attempts to bring the virus back under control, there is a real risk of that strain becoming even more acute and widespread.

There has been lots of talk since the pandemic started about the need to protect mental health, not only among young people but the population in general. But it remains to be seen if that acknowledgement is translating into practical support for everyone who needs it.

Anecdotally, it appears that bigger employers and society in general are becoming better at talking about mental health and the importance of helping people stay healthy. There is an impression now that there is more support than there ever has been before. But it would be wrong to suggest there are still not deficits in the provision and accessibility of support.

On the one hand, there is evidence of major corporates taking mental health seriously. Only last week, the chief executive of Royal Bank of Scotland owner NatWest Group, Alison Rose, underlined the support the lender has on offer to its thousands of employees during a media call with reporters.

When asked if the bank was reviewing its future office requirements because of the huge shift to home working, Ms Rose acknowledged it has been more difficult for some colleagues than others to adapt. Noting that the mental health and well-being of some colleagues has been affected, Ms Rose said: “We have put in place an option for those colleagues who feel that their mental or physical well-being will benefit from a return to the office.

“We have also put in place substantial support, free mental health support through a new partnership with Silver Cloud, to really help any colleagues who need that.

“The ways of working are changing. We will continue to put health, well-being and customer service at the forefront.”

Carolyn Lochhead, a spokeswoman for the Scottish Association for Mental Health (SAMH), said the charity has seen an increase in the number of businesses approaching it for guidance on how to provide assistance to their staff during the pandemic, which she suggests is a positive sign that employers are taking the matter seriously.

Research published by the charity last month found 59 per cent of Scotland’s working age population have found work more stressful since the start of the pandemic, with the figure higher (64%) for workers aged 18 to 34. But it also found a majority (51%) believe their employers could do more to support mental health, with that rising to 66% for those aged 18 to 34.

“We have seen a lot of interest [from businesses] looking for help [and] ways to be of assistance,” Ms Lochhead said. “Our research suggests people in Scotland are finding work more stressful… which suggests there is a need for employers to be doing more.”

That levels of stress among younger people appear to be higher is perhaps not surprising. Statistics show the economic fall-out from the crisis in terms of job losses is having a disproportionate effect on those aged 18 to 24, given their preponderance to work in sectors such as hospitality and retail, two of the most badly-hit industries.

The most up-to-date official figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), published in October, show that the unemployment rate for young people aged 18 to 24 has risen to 13.1% from 10.5% since the pandemic erupted, with the number of people in that age category in employment falling by 289,000 to 3,536,000.

In that context, it is not surprising to hear that The Prince’s Trust, the charity which supports thousands of young people move into employment, education and training each year, has had to ramp up the support it provides as the crisis has unfolded, with many people seeking advice for the first time. It had to adapt quickly to offer more of its counselling services online.

Kate Still, director for the Trust in Scotland, said: “Young people are needing more support now. They are anxious, and some of them have panic attacks. I think that is just about the fear of the unknown, and what they are fearing about the economy, and the greater impact on young people.

“They are struggling, because you have got young people coming out of school, college, and university that wanted to start their career journeys, and they are now competing up against people who are experienced and losing their jobs. So young people are worried about whether there will be a future for them.”

Making life more difficult for organisations such as The Princes Trust is the drop in funding they are having to deal with.

The pandemic has put paid to fund-raising events, while contributions from philanthropists are also falling because they may be sustaining losses in their business ventures.

Ms Still believes that, as a society, we are getting better at talking about mental health, but that talk is not always being matched by help on the ground.

“I don’t think we are [doing enough],” she said. “I think we talk about it, but it is got to be something that we actually encourage people to do.

“One of the things we have introduced in the Trust is a new system that encourages people to have well-being conversations, as well as conversations about activities, tasks and objectives, as part of their regular one-to-one support.”

Of course, it will always be easier for large organisations such as NatWest to put support for colleagues in place. Big businesses such as banks are still making profits amid the pandemic, while many smaller companies, notably those in hospitality, leisure and tourism, are finding it extremely difficult just to keep the lights on, let alone find the reserves to support their colleagues’ well-being.

Indeed, in this crisis, business owners will be facing mental health worries of their own, with the unenviable task of having to let people go among the many concerns they are dealing with.

As lockdown once more becomes part of our day-to-day reality, the mental health crisis deserves as much attention as the battle to combat coronavirus.