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Mental health concerns among workers have shown little to no improvement in the past year, reveals a survey from mental wellness brand Calm. The survey, which covered over 4,000 respondents from the US, UK, Germany, and India, unearths that a worrying 81% are grappling with stress, anxiety, and nerves.
The toll of employee mental health issues isn’t contained within personal confines, spilling over into workplace productivity, absenteeism, and even impacting self-identification at work, warns the World Health Organization. The larger implications for businesses hinge on worker well-being and a strain on the financial front. Psychological conditions like anxiety and depression push the global economy into an annual deficit of roughly $1 trillion as per the WHO.
The pain points that have workers on edge can be classified under three broad categories. Assuaging these concerns could offer employers a pathway to foster worker wellness.
Technological Progress, Focused on AI:
The swift advance of artificial intelligence in recent years has left many workers anxious. The survey discloses that 53% of workers intermittently or often feel stressed or nervous due to the swift progress of technology, particularly AI, in their workspace.
Interestingly, nearly half of HR leaders feel that AI will boost worker well-being. To bridge the perception gap, employers may need to articulately spell out the advantages of AI to their workforce.
Relationships with Supervisors:
Supervisors serve as the cornerstone for team engagement. Though a majority of employees acknowledge the support from their managers in mental health matters, about a third feel there’s room for improvement. Adaptation of workloads, provision of mental health breaks, and openness to dialogues about mental well-being were suggested practices. The challenge lies in the admission of nearly one-third of managers who feel unequipped or uncomfortable initiating these conversations. The survey suggests the inclusion of an adequate degree of training for managers to facilitate these dialogues.
Supervisors serve as the cornerstone for team engagement. Though a majority of employees acknowledge the support from their managers in mental health matters, about a third feel there’s room for improvement. Adaptation of workloads, provision of mental health breaks, and openness to dialogues about mental well-being were suggested practices. The challenge lies in the admission of nearly one-third of managers who feel unequipped or uncomfortable initiating these conversations. The survey suggests the inclusion of an adequate degree of training for managers to facilitate these dialogues.
Financial Stability:
The primary catalyst for deteriorating worker mental health, as per the survey, is the cost of living even as inflation eases gradually in the US. To mitigate financial stress, 52% of workers are exploring supplementary income routes, inadvertently hiking stress and burnout risks.
The primary catalyst for deteriorating worker mental health, as per the survey, is the cost of living even as inflation eases gradually in the US. To mitigate financial stress, 52% of workers are exploring supplementary income routes, inadvertently hiking stress and burnout risks.
To counter these stresses, the survey submits a few employer strategies, such as awareness-mongering about financial tools, inviting guest speakers to discuss financial management, and supplying professional advice for benefit selection.