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News comment: Poor managers bad for workers' mental health and performance, new CIPD research shows

Journalist: Arunth Sriganthan, People Management

ended 04. May 2023

I'm writing a story for People Management about a report from the CIPD which shows a direct link between poor managers and negative mental health, job satisfaction and performance amongst workers.

Some of the findings include:

  • Negative impacts on their mental health - Half (50%) of workers whose managers are rated in the bottom quartile on the manager quality index say that their work has a negative impact on their mental health, compared to just 14% of workers whose managers are rated in the top quartile.
  • Excessive pressure at work - Four in ten (39%) of workers with the lowest-rated managers say they are under excessive pressure at work often or always, compared to just 14% of those with the best managers.

I am looking for comment on the following:

  • Whether this issue (need for better people manager selection and development) is HR's job or if it's a combined effort of better
    recruiting between both L&D and HR together?
  • How can L&D facilitate and train for better line management
  • How can line management negatively impact mental health and employee wellbeing?

Full link to the report:
https://www.cipd.org/en/knowledge/reports/importance-of-people-management

My deadline is tomorrow 10:30am.

2 responses from the Newspage community

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Editor
Kate Underwood
Managing Director / HR Director at Kate Underwood HR and Training
Poor line management can have a significant negative impact on employee mental health and well-being in a variety of ways. For instance, line managers who are unsupportive, uncommunicative, or overly critical can create a toxic work environment that can lead to increased stress, anxiety, and even depression among employees. Moreover, when line managers fail to provide clear expectations or feedback to employees, it can lead to confusion, disengagement, and a general lack of motivation among employees. Similarly, when line managers are overly demanding or fail to recognize and appreciate the hard work and contributions of their employees, it can result in a lack of job satisfaction, burnout, and high turnover rates. Therefore, it's crucial for organisations to prioritize the development of effective line managers who prioritize employee wellbeing, create a positive work environment, and foster a culture of support and appreciation for their employees.
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Bradley Lay
Founder at Peak Capital Group
In the modern business world, there is a significant shift in employee priorities towards achieving a better work-life balance and increased benefits. Particularly with younger generations entering the workforce with changing approaches to work and location, unfortunately many managers are not adapting to these changing values. Instead, they continue with outdated management styles that are slowly fading out of fashion.
Employees want to feel that they are making a significant contribution to their work and not simply following mindless instructions. In these instances management struggle to find the right balance between control and delegation, ultimately defaulting to micro management.
Trust seems to be another issue leading to increased employee dissatisfaction. With more employees working from home, how can employers ensure that staff are productive? By monitoring their workload, employees feel that they are working in a big brother environment.
Will business be able to adapt?