Marvin OnumonuOne in three workers have cried at work over the past year, with most saying they felt under pressure to hide their emotions, according to research from Zety UK.
Only 32% said their workplace was highly safe for talking about emotions, while 67% said they had felt the need to hide their feelings to look professional.
If their mental health was suffering, one in four said they would not feel safe telling their manager and would keep it to themselves.
Additionally, the report found that 44% said they felt judged for showing stress or negative emotion at work.
Burnout or chronic stress was the main reason for negative feelings at work at 43%, closely followed by heavy workloads or deadlines at 42%.
36% said they had hidden the real reason for taking a mental health day, and 7% said they did not feel comfortable taking time off for mental health at all.
67% said they had felt the need to hide their emotions to appear professional, and one in three said they felt uncomfortable showing negative emotions at work.
Only 32% rated their workplace’s psychological safety as high, with 58% saying it was moderate and 10% low.
61% said they had felt so overwhelmed they cried in the past year, and three in ten had cried in front of a colleague or manager due to work stress.
One in four said they felt emotionally drained a few times a week, and one in 10 said they felt this way every day.
44% said they felt judged for showing stress or emotion at work, and one in three said they had been told to “toughen up,” “calm down,” or “leave your feelings at the door.”
21% said colleagues were dismissive when they showed negative emotion, and 14% said colleagues were completely unaware.
When it came to support, most turned to a trusted colleague or peer (36%) or friends and family outside work (36%).
Only 16% said they would talk to their direct manager, 6% said they did not feel safe talking to anyone, and just 3% each said they would speak to HR or a workplace counsellor or an outside therapist or professional.
One in four said they would not feel safe telling their manager if their mental health was suffering.
36% said they had taken a mental health day but reported a different reason, and 7% said they did not feel comfortable taking time off at all.
