Poor Mental Health is a 'Critical Issue' for Facilities Managers

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• Poor Mental Health is a 'Critical Issue' for Facilities Managers

20 December 2023

The MRI Voice of the Facility Manager Report shows that 39 per cent of surveyed FM professionals pinpoint poor mental health as the biggest challenge they face in their careers.

MRI Software asked 750 European facilities management professionals about their workloads, job satisfaction and professional growth in a survey circulated between April and June 2023. 

As well as mental health being a key concern, heavy workloads and increased job demands are also an issue. 70 per cent of the respondents work beyond their contracted time, with nearly a third (30 per cent) working at least 10 additional hours each week – and over one in 10 (12 per cent) putting in more than 20 extra hours weekly. 

 54 per cent said that they still enjoy their work to varying degrees and 60 per cent feel they have a good work-life balance.

“Facility managers shoulder the stresses and responsibilities of their daily duties while also ensuring accurate maintenance records and other property data, and it’s taking a toll on their mental wellbeing,” said James Massey, Managing Director of Facilities Management at MRI Software. 

“The good news is the majority still have a positive outlook, and over half say they would recommend facilities management as a career. That said, technology offers a lifeline, giving them the digital tools they need to boost efficiency, utilise data, monitor buildings, manage energy usage, and predict maintenance hotspots.”

Tech Trends in FM

The report also reveals that 30 per cent of FM professionals see new technology and digital disruption as an opportunity and 20 per cent see developments in these areas as “essential to embrace”. Similarly, the same proportions view advanced data analysis and cloud-based data collection as an opportunity (30 per cent) or essential to embrace (20 per cent).

Two-thirds (67 per cent) of the FM professionals surveyed are considering changing or adopting new FM software, with 38 per cent saying they aim to boost efficiency and productivity. All respondents report using technology in some form, and 31 per cent say they are employing multiple systems. These include FM software (56 per cent), contractor management software (40 per cent), visitor management software (37 per cent), incident reporting software (37 per cent) and leasing software (33 per cent).

Picture: a photograph taken from above showing a person sitting on their own at a table. Image Credit: Unsplash

Article written by Ella Tansley | Published 20 December 2023

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