Released to coincide with World Mental Health Day, the Printing Charity has shared new research highlighting both the positive workplace aspects and the wellbeing challenges faced by employees across the print industry.
The Printing Charity has shared the results of recent research designed to build a picture of how things are, professionally and personally, for people working in print, paper, packaging, graphics, publishing, and allied trades. The release of the findings coincides with World Mental Health Day, which this year focuses on the theme of ‘Lived experiences heard: real voices, real change’. This theme aligns with the charity’s goal of understanding real experiences to ensure its future services continue to deliver real change for the industry.
The research highlights that people in print are passionate and positive about their work. Four in five respondents feel that the work they do is important to their organisation, while three-quarters feel they play a role in keeping print alive and relevant alongside a sense of job satisfaction. Furthermore, seven in ten feel appreciated for their efforts at work. The findings also suggest that print industry workplaces are characterised by care, with nearly eight in ten respondents comfortable letting their manager or senior leader know if they were under stress, and seven in ten feeling supported by their manager.
Despite these positives, the survey shows that people in print are impacted by universal wellbeing challenges, including poor sleep, money worries, the cost of living crisis, low energy, and mental wellbeing struggles. Additionally, work pressures are creating sector-specific pinch-points. These include work-related stress, issues with work-life balance, worries about the future, the impact of artificial intelligence and automation, and general career uncertainty.
Neil Lovell, CEO of the Printing Charity, stated that the period around World Mental Health Day is the perfect point to unveil the findings from the industry research. He explained that the goal was to identify the biggest challenges for people working across these sectors, allowing the charity to not only respond through direct services and support but also help equip businesses with practical ways to foster the best staff wellbeing possible. Lovell noted that businesses in the sector work hard to create positive working environments where people thrive, adding that the Printing Charity serves as the wellbeing partner for the sector, supporting businesses to meet the particular needs of their employees.