According to the Mortgage Industry Mental Health Charter’s (MIMHC’s) latest survey, nearly half of brokers – 41% – rated their mental wellbeing as ‘excellent’ or ‘good’, but one in five said their mental health was ‘poor’.
This is in line with the prior year’s findings and shows the “need for sustained targeted support for those at higher risk”.
Around 27% said the economic environment was driving stress, down from 30% last year.
This was followed by 21% who said dealing with client demands was stressful, a rise from 15% last year, while 14% said keeping up to date with rate changes was stressful, in line with last year. Product withdrawals dropped from 16% to 6%.
Examining the most stressful periods of the year, 48% pointed to October to December, a rise from 41% in 2024. The report said this was “consistent with seasonal volume, policy and economic pressures concentrated in Q4″.
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January to March was cited by a quarter of people, similar to the prior year, and then July to September came to 16%, a decrease from 23% in the previous year. Only 12% said April to June was stressful.
Work/life balance and professional contentment improve but still ‘burnout risk’
Looking at work/life balance, around 29% said work/life balance had worsened, which is an improvement from 39% last year.
The report found that around 34% reported an improvement in work/life balance, which compares to 31% last year.
A similar proportion said work/life balance had stayed the same.
The MIMHC said the “normalisation likely reflects steadier operations, better support and maturing hybrid practices”.
Around 59% said they worked more than 45 hours per week, a decrease from 62% in the prior period, which the MIMHC said was “directionally positive but still points to sustained intensity and burnout risk”.
Within that figure, 48% said they worked 45-60 hours per week, 6% said they worked 60-75 hours and 5% opted for over 75 hours.
The report also found that 41% worked fewer than 45 hours per week, which is up from 38% last year.
More than half of those surveyed said they had hybrid working patterns, up from 42% in 2024.
Around a third were permanently home-based, in line with last year, and only 16% had returned to the office, down from 23% last year.
Looking at professional contentment, 35% said they were moderately happy with how things were going, a slight fall from 37% in 2024.
Around 32% said they were happy with how things were going, which is up on 28% from 2024.
Only 20% said they loved what they did, a rise from 13% last year, and 14% said they were pretty disillusioned and considering their options, a drop from 19% in the prior year.
The MIMHC said this suggests that “confidence is rebuilding alongside improved employer support”.
Most point to relationships as important for wellness but sleep and financial security important
When asked about important wellbeing factors, two-thirds pointed to a happy relationship with their partner, which is in line with 2024’s findings.
This was followed by financial independence at 47%, sufficient sleep and rest at 43%, and fitness and diet at 40%. This compares to 45%, 42% and 45% last year respectively.
The MIMHC said it was important for employers to note the “continued salience of sleep and financial security as practical levers for wellbeing”.
Nearly a quarter – 22% – said they didn’t get enough sleep on any day of the week, which is in line with last year.
This was followed by 17% saying they only got adequate sleep two or three days of the week, which is also stable on last year.
Approximately 15% said they got enough sleep on around four days of the week, a slight rise from 11% in 2024.
The report said this shows that sleep adequacy “remains inconsistent” and reinforces the “need for workload and boundary-setting interventions”.
More companies have mental health and wellbeing support
The report found that 70% of participants said their company has mental health and wellbeing support, an increase from 52% last year.
Only 22% said their employers didn’t offer mental health support, a drop from 34% last year.
Approximately 8% said they didn’t know if their employer had support in place, a decrease from 13% in 2024.
The MIMHC said this was a “meaningful improvement in both reality and communication of support”.
The report added that 47% said the provision of support had improved, up from 32% last year, and only 26% said it hadn’t, a fall from 39% in 2024.
Approximately 38% said the current arrangement improved mental health, compared to 27% in 2024.
MIMHC recommendations are wide-ranging
The MIMHC has made a number of recommendations, building on its 2024 framework.
This includes doubling down on practical support, making sleep and recovery an “explicit management priority”.
It added that firms need to introduce “proactive check-ins, fast-track referrals and optional reduced targets and timeouts for colleagues disclosing acute strain”.
The MIMHC said firms need to equip managers as first responders, continuing with mental health first aid training and practical toolkits and coaching to help managers balance performance and wellbeing.
It noted that companies need to tame the stress drivers it could control and mature hybrid models to foster inclusions and protect focus time.
