Go deeper - join us!
Almost 70% of employees report that their mental health has stayed the same or worsened over the past year. In addition, 68% said they’ve had trouble falling asleep over the past month. These are just two of the findings from Calm’s Voice of the Workplace Report. Although many companies have made huge strides in supporting employee mental health, employees are still dealing with heavy stressors that seriously impact them.
Trends in employee mental health
Calm, a software company based in San Francisco, produces meditation products. The Voice of the Workplace Report surveyed 4,000 employees and 150 HR leaders about their mental health. Here’s what they found:
- Nearly 60% percent of global workers agree that they are always connected or available for work.
- About half of workers are concerned about rapidly developing technologies in the work.
- One-third believe AI tools are contributing negatively to employee well-being.
- 65% of employees believe that a good manager can improve their mental health.
- Only 38% of those surveyed say that their manager fosters a low-stress work environment.
- Women need more support in the workplace for their varying life stages. Only 35% of employees surveyed said that their workplace supports reproductive health, like pregnancy or breastfeeding.
The survey also revealed the top stressors for employees. Number one is the cost of living or inflation, and number two is financial instability. American workers are feeling the pressure of higher prices for housing, food, medical care, and more. It is seriously impacting their mental state, which in turn impacts the employer. Employees who are stressed are not as productive and motivated as employees who have good mental health.Â
Recommendations to support employee mental health
We’ve come a long way to reduce the stigma of using benefits, such as therapy or even intensive in-patient care, but there’s still a long way to go. Calm recommends adding preventative resources to existing benefits to help employees be more proactive.
Another recommendation is to cultivate managers who care about their subordinates’ mental health. Only about half of all managers surveyed said they felt comfortable talking to employees about their mental health. It’s also important to reduce the stigma about using benefits. It’s good for business to have healthy employees, both physically and mentally. It reduces turnover and improves morale in the office for better outcomes.
