The home and work interface

Long and stressful hours at work, whether or not colleagues are present, can harm physical and emotional health. As the balance between work and life tips towards work, many people develop symptoms of depression or an anxiety disorder, such as mood swings and loss of enjoyment of hobbies and recreation, and some turn to alcohol, drugs or prescription medication to cope with negative feelings.

Increasingly, the demands of work reach into the homes and social lives of employees. Long, uncertain or unsocial hours, working away from home, taking work home, high levels of responsibility, job insecurity and relocation can all harm family responsibilities and leisure. This tends to undermine a good, relaxing life outside work, which is an important buffer against work stress, and a poor working environment can affect mental health.

No work environment and no type of trauma leads automatically to mental illness in everyone. Factors outside work also contribute to mental health and to performance at work, so any simple cause-and-effect link between work and mental health is likely to be inaccurate. Factors outside the workplace that may be important include:

• conflicting demands between work and home
• stressful life events
• childcare issues, such as medical needs or school drop-off and pick-up
• financial worries
• bereavement
• commuting over long distances
• relocation
• health
• caring for vulnerable relatives, such as disabled or elderly family members
• beliefs

In many societies women carry a larger share of childcare and domestic responsibilities than men, so these pressures can fall more heavily on them.

Recognising that most people with mental ill health can work effectively with the right support

People living with mental health conditions have a right to take a full and fair part in work. The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is an international agreement that promotes the rights of people with disabilities, including psychosocial disabilities, and that covers work. The World Health Organization recommends three interventions to help people with mental health conditions gain, keep and take part in work.

• Reasonable accommodations at work. These adapt the working environment to the capacities, needs and preferences of a worker with a mental health condition. They may include flexible working hours, extra time to finish tasks, modified assignments to reduce stress, time off for health appointments, or regular supportive meetings with a supervisor.
• Return-to-work programmes. These combine work-directed care, such as reasonable accommodations or a phased return, with continuing clinical care. They support workers in returning meaningfully after an absence related to a mental health condition, while also reducing symptoms.
• Supported employment initiatives. These help people with severe mental health conditions to get into paid work and stay in it, with continuing mental health and vocational support.

Summary notes for Element 5 · Cheat sheet · Glossary. A study aid, not published or endorsed by NEBOSH.