According to the gambling support charity, GamCare, they believe that more employers should be opening safe spaces for their staff to disclose problems around gambling.
Research from YouGov reveals that just 1 in 10 people said that their workplace had support policies for people impacted by gambling. Comparatively, nearly half (47%) said there were policies in place to support with issues around mental health.
9% of people who called the National Gambling Helpline last year, which is operated by GamCare, cited difficulties in the workplace as one of the main impacts that they faced as an onset from their issue.
The data captured from YouGov also points to a communication gap between those impacted and their bosses. Only 3 in 10 (28%) of those gambling at harmful levels say they would feel confident in telling their employer.
Samantha Turton, head of remote Support Services at GamCare, says: “Gambling is often referred to as the ‘hidden’ addiction, where it’s often more difficult to spot the signs of an issue than drink or drugs. This is why it’s even more important to create channels where people can discuss issues that may come from it.
To further combat the issue, Betknowmore UK, provides a dedicated workplace training programme called WorkSafe. Katy Wilson, operations and business development lead at Betknowmore UK, comments: “Employers may not always know when there are issues with gambling occurring in their workplaces, but it’s really important there are avenues available to disclose it.”
Five steps that organisations can take to support more discussions about gambling harms include:
- Implementing HR policies that highlight that there are open spaces to disclose issues with gambling, similar to internal policies on issues with drugs, alcohol and mental health issues.
- Equipping line managers with the information they need to support any staff impacted, such as awareness of the National Gambling Helpline or their local support provider through the National Gambling Support Network.
- Creating supportive networks internally and encouraging more internal learning opportunities that help reduce the stigma associated with gambling harm.
- Carefully thinking about the impact that office competitions such as lotteries or ‘sweepstakes’ may have on their employees, particularly in periods where there is a heightened temptation to bet, such as the Grand National or the upcoming Euros.
- Recognising that people don’t have to be gambling themselves to be experiencing harms from it; they could be affected by someone else’s gambling, and their support needs may be different.
