74% Of Employees Report Negative Mental Health At Work
In observance of May’s Mental Health Awareness Month, it’s important to note that over 50% of the population is expected to be diagnosed with a mental health disorder in their lifetime. One-third of Americans say work is adversely impacting their mental health, and 80% say they feel stress at work. Plus, The incidences of burnout have risen from 43% in 2022 to 62% in 2023.
Mental Wellness Is A High Priority For Employees
A recent workplace report revealed alarming rates of burnout among women executives, with over a third reporting burnout. Burnout is a debilitating state—different from stress—where employees are unable to function at their usual level, resulting from cumulative and unmanaged stress for which there’s no quick fix. You can’t cure it by slowing down, resting, taking a long vacation or working fewer hours. The key symptom of burnout is exhaustion in the form of a deep fatigue, negativity or cynicism toward the job and lower professional efficacy.
The American Psychological Association’s Work in America Survey confirms that psychological well-being is a high priority for workers themselves.
- 92% of workers say it is very (57%) or somewhat (35%) important to them to work for an organization that values their emotional and psychological well-being.
- 92% believe it is very (52%) or somewhat (40%) important to them to work for an organization that provides support for employee mental health.
- 95% report that it is very (66%) or somewhat (29%) important to them to feel respected at work.
- 95% feel it is very (61%) or somewhat (34%) important to them to work for an organization that respects the boundaries between work and nonwork time.
A Monster poll on Mental Health in the Workplace reveals that three out of four workers say their mental health at work is negative, with 40% reporting ‘poor’ and 34% saying their mental health is just ‘fair.’ Other key findings of the study include:
- 67% of workers feel they work in a toxic environment (up 4% from 2023).
- 78% of workers don’t think their employer is doing enough to address their mental wellness at work (up 3% from 2023).
- 61% of workers would rather quit, and 39% would rather get laid off from their job than work in a toxic workplace.
The study uncovered the following five factors contributing to their negative mental health:
- The majority (62%) of workers say that a toxic work culture is to blame.
- More than half (53%) of workers blame a bad manager.
- 48% of workers blame the fear of being laid off (21%) or the current economy (27%).
- 43% credit a lack of growth opportunities.
- 43% blame an increased workload.
Currently, though the well-being of many workers is negatively affected by their workplace, it’s clear that they are seeking to prioritize mental wellness. Findings showed that most employees (79%) prioritize their work well-being more than a promotion (43%) or a raise in salary (36%). The statistic that four in 10 workers prioritize their work well-being over a salary raise is significant, according to Vicki Salemi, career expert at Monster.
“If the environment is still toxic, regardless of the quality and quantity of mental health resources they provide, workers won’t feel safe to tap into them as the root of their issues—the daily toxicity—are prevalent,” Salemi states. As an example, she says a company may offer unlimited PTO, but if workers feel threatened to take time off from work without being tethered to their desk 24/7, the policy and therefore mental health support is ineffective for work-life balance and flexibility that workers want.
Proactive Steps Employers Must Take
Renée Zavislak, a burnout expert and licensed California-based therapist, recalls giving a corporate wellness presentation at a major tech company on the impact of burnout. In the middle of her presentation, the employees were called back to their desks and had to leave the seminar.
“This was particularly frustrating,” she told me by email, “because, in my experience, people don’t know the difference between burnout, stress and anxiety, nor do they know the three-to-five minute mindfulness techniques that can help with prevention.”
Corporations big and small are starting to realize that refusing to proactively address employee well-being isn’t an option, but many businesses are learning this lesson the hard way. Burned out employees are costing employers $3,400 of every $10,000 in salary as productivity decreases. And depression alone is costing the global economy $1 billion in lost productivity.
Companies need to respond to employee needs by respecting boundaries and the right to disconnect before resentment and burnout make top performers leave. “Companies usually wait until it’s too late to act on burnout. They need to start embracing preventative solutions,” Zavislak declares, adding that when someone’s job security depends on working 60-80 hours a week, and they have to take calls on vacation, it means companies aren’t taking mental health seriously.
“One solution would be incentivizing employees to take wellness paid time off or simply to require it,” she suggests. “For example, the offices of language learning app Duolingo are closed for two weeks over the winter so employees can focus on enjoying the holidays rather than worrying about work. This is particularly important because the managers and C-Suite are also on vacation. Those at the top need to model healthy practices. No employee who is working to advance their career wants to take more time off than their boss!”
Salemi believes there’s room for improvement for employers to focus on looking closely at their culture, the root of toxicity to make sweeping positive internal changes and to also offer truly helpful resources and support. “Hopefully, as organizations address internal issues contributing to their employees’ (and contractors, too) poor mental health and focus on creating positive environments, along with resources, systems and support, there will be progress improving mental health at work,” she concludes. “Essentially, they will become part of the solution rather than the problem.”
link