We’re delighted to announce that we have signed up to partner with Safe In Our World.
Recent industry stats revealed 53% of game developers reported that crunch (exceeding 40 hours work per week over an extended period) is an expected part of their jobs. But with crunch translating as emotional exhaustion, reduced personal accomplishment, and feelings of hopelessness, this does not bode well for the mental health of employees. In fact, the UK Games Industry Census by Ukie revealed that anxiety and depression rates in games are higher than that of the general population.
Why is mental health in the workplace important?
In many countries, we work an average of 36 hours a week, meaning that a substantial portion of our lives is spent at work or with our work influencing the way we think, feel and behave. Whether we attain great satisfaction and enjoyment from our jobs, or regularly find ourselves unhappy at work, statistics show that 1 in 3 working age adults had experienced a mental health problem whilst in employment.
For employers, the costs of poorly managed mental health issues in the workplace can be frightening – with 70 million sick days in the UK, for example, attributable to poor mental health in the year of 2007 alone. When considering the costs of long term sickness and staff turnover related to mental ill health, as well as the impacts on team dynamics, morale, productivity, staff retention, customer service and organisational culture when mental health is not supported well at work, the business case for supporting good mental health in the workplace is compelling.
Take a look at the Safe in our World website to understand the positive steps they are taking to improve the conversation around mental health in the gaming sector.