Siobhan Neela-Stock learned a painful lesson about the need for mental health support in the workplace when she found herself in an acute breakdown one morning in August of 2021.
By the time she decided to take a six-week mental health leave from her media job, she was finding it difficult to sleep or even string a sentence together.
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“My brain just quit on me,” she says. “I think I was in [fight-or-flight] mode.”
The Vermont-based writer and journalist endured months of prolonged stress from her work environment. Eventually, she reached a point where it was hard to get out of bed.
She eventually decided to hand in her notice that October, joining a growing trend of young employees who are rethinking their relationship with mental health and work. A recent study from financial services company Securian Financial reports that 65% of Gen Z and 60% of millennial workers say it’s “very important” for their employers to provide mental wellness benefits. In comparison, fewer than half of Gen X and baby boomer employees say the same.
But if employers hope to retain talented workers and employees want to avoid burning themselves out, both groups may need to rethink the value they place on providing or having access to mental health benefits in the workplace.
Younger generations value mental health support
Neela-Stock is far from alone in her experience. The American Institute of Stress, a non-profit organization, reports that 4 in 5 American employees suffer from work-related stress. A quarter said their jobs were the number-one stressor in their lives.
But even considering how widespread the issue is, for employees who are struggling, workplace mental health coverage tends to be quite limited. The most common benefit is an Employee Assistance Program (EAP), which provides focused, short-term counseling to help employees cope with a specific issue affecting their work.
According to a survey of 1,000 full-time workers from the workplace mental health provider Lyra, only 25% of workers had dedicated mental health benefits in 2021, while 54% had access to an EAP.
However, the report also found access to workplace mental health benefits has improved since 2020, and more workers have benefits that are fully covered.
Everyone benefits from enhanced benefits
While many may assume any resources offered in this area would be considered an extra perk, the data shows that if employers don’t prioritize their employees’ mental well-being, they run the risk of losing them.
A 2021 study from management consulting firm McKinsey discovered that not only do most Gen Z employees take mental health resources into consideration when choosing an employer, 57% say they’re important when deciding whether to stay at an employer as well.
While nearly three-quarters of Gen Z and millennial workers told Securian they made use of mental health benefits offered by their employers, only 58% of Gen Xers and 49% of baby boomers said the same.
Denise Rousseau, professor of organizational behavior at Carnegie Mellon University, says older workers aren’t less in need of mental health support, adding that aging out of the workforce and shifting into retirement can be challenging for many.
She suspects older workers are more reluctant to seek help — even when they could use it.
“It's not been part of their normal life and the way they thought about themselves,” Rousseau explains, adding there’s now less stigma and more resources for mental health than back when Gen Xers and boomers first joined the workforce.
Read more: Here's how much the average American 60-year-old holds in retirement savings — how does your nest egg compare?
There are benefits for employers too
Rousseau points out that helping employees gain access and coverage for mental health care can help enhance their productivity and performance. Around 1 million workers miss work each day due to stress, and more than half aren’t engaged on the job because of it, according to The American Institute of Stress.
And the organization’s estimates of the total economic impact of stress to U.S. employers — including factors like absenteeism, turnover, diminished productivity and medical and legal costs — come in at a whopping $300 billion a year.
Workers are also less likely to quit their jobs if they have a good relationship with their employer. This is particularly relevant right now, as the U.S. continues to grapple with a tight labor market.
Simply offering good salaries isn’t enough to get “loyalty, flexibility and service,” from employees, Rousseau emphasizes. And she adds the benefits that support an employee’s mental well-being are likely to vary from person to person. For some, providing competitive compensation and opportunities for professional development and growth supports mental wellness. While for parents, offering child care support can be incredibly useful.
Why just having mental health benefits isn’t enough
Since Neela-Stock left her job, she has opted to freelance and is hesitant to commit to a steady 9-to-5 again. Her current situation allows her to vet clients to make sure they prioritize supporting workers’ mental health.
“I have an escape door. If they treat me badly, I can leave,” she says.
And while she could afford to leave her job, not everyone can make that choice — especially if they need to work in order to keep their health insurance coverage.
Getting in front of that, there needs to be a foundation of “psychological safety” in the workplace, says Neela-Stock.
“If you don't have that, then all these other benefits, in my opinion, are just going to be Band-Aids.”
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This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
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‘I have an escape door’: Younger workers say they need more than a good salary to give their ‘loyalty, flexibility and service’ — and it’s already costing the US economy billions - Yahoo Finance
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