It's a new era for mental health at work

Employers now understand the prevalence of mental health challenges at work are are addressing them. Photo / 123RF

In 2019, employers were starting to grasp the prevalence of workplace mental health challenges, the need to address stigma and the emerging link to diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI. In 2020, mental health support became a business requirement. In 2021, the stakes have been raised even higher by a greater awareness of the workplace factors that can contribute to poor mental health, as well as heightened urgency around its intersections with DEI.

Although employers have responded with initiatives like mental health days and enhanced Counselling benefits, they're not enough. Employees need and expect mentally healthy workplaces. To achieve this requires real culture change.

Mind Share Partners' 2021 Mental Health at Work Report compares the state of mental health, stigma and work culture in US workplaces before and during Covid-19. This follow-up study to our 2019 Mental Health at Work Report uses the same metrics. It also includes additional questions and segmentations on the effects of Covid-19, racial trauma and the return to offices. As in 2019, we collected responses from 1,500 US adults in full-time jobs, with statistically significant representation across racial and ethnic backgrounds, gender identities and other factors. Here's what we learned, along with our recommendations for what employers should do to support their employees' mental health.

The employee mental health experience

When we examined data on how employees experience mental health challenges, we found that prevalence increased from 2019 to 2021, and that younger and historically underrepresented workers still struggle the most.

• Increased attrition: More employees are leaving their jobs for mental health reasons, including those caused by workplace factors like overwhelming work. Sixty-eight percent of millennials (50 per cent in 2019) and 81 per cent of Generation Z members (75 per cent in 2019) have left roles for mental health reasons, both voluntarily and involuntarily, compared with 50 per cent of respondents overall (34 per cent in 2019).

• High prevalence: Seventy-six percent of respondents reported at least one symptom of a mental health condition in the past year, up from 59 per cent in 2019. While that's not surprising, given the many societal stressors of the pandemic, it supports the notion that mental health challenges regularly affect nearly all of us.

• Widespread disclosure: More employees are talking about mental health at work than in 2019. Nearly two-thirds of respondents spoke about their mental health with someone at work in the past year. Disclosure is an essential step in the right direction, especially in reducing stigma, which affects willingness to seek treatment.

• DEI implications: Demographics continue to play a substantial role in workplace mental health, with younger workers and historically underrepresented groups still struggling the most. Millennials and people in Generation Z, as well as LGBTQ and Black and Latino respondents were all significantly more likely to experience mental health symptoms.

The company's role in employee mental health

Employees don't experience mental health challenges in isolation. Employers play a role, too — both positive and negative.

• Certain workplace factors negatively affected mental health: The way we're working isn't sustainable, and it's hurting our mental health. An overwhelming 84 per cent of respondents reported at least one workplace factor that negatively affected their mental health. Among all respondents, the most common factor was emotionally draining work, which also worsened since Covid-19.

• Companies increased investment in employee mental health - sort of: Companies are finally investing more in mental health support, but they still haven't achieved actual culture change. Our respondents noted an increase in the availability of many resources — including extra paid time off, companywide mental health days and mental health training — since the start of Covid-19. Still, utilisation rates for more in-depth accommodations — such as time off and leaves of absence — saw no growth from 2019.

• Companies took steps toward culture change: While there is still a long way to go, some companies have made progress on the culture front. Fifty-four percent of respondents believed that mental health was prioritised at their company, up from 41 per cent in 2019. In addition, 47 per cent of respondents believed that their manager was equipped to support them if they had a mental health condition or symptom (compared with 39 per cent in 2019).

• Employers benefit from supporting mental health at work: Workers who felt supported with their mental health overall were 26 per cent less likely to report at least one symptom of a mental health condition in the past year. Respondents who felt supported by their employer also tended to be less likely to experience mental health symptoms, less likely to underperform and miss work and more likely to feel comfortable talking about their mental health at work. In addition, they had higher job satisfaction and intentions to stay at their company.

What employers need to provide

Employers must move from viewing mental health as an individual challenge to a collective priority. Here's what they need to provide to make real progress.

• Culture change: To succeed, culture change requires both a top-down and bottom-up approach. Leaders must treat mental health as an organisational priority with accountability mechanisms such as regular pulse surveys and clear ownership. Leaders should serve as allies by sharing their own experiences to foster an environment of transparency and openness. Investing in DEI to support employee mental health and address its intersectionality is also crucial.

• More sustainable ways of working: Organizations can help make work more sustainable for employees by providing flexibility. Promoting autonomy, establishing boundaries and creating norms around communication can go a long way toward building a mentally healthy culture.

• Deeper connection: Employers should provide companywide opportunities for connection and promote ongoing, deeper one-on-one conversations between managers and direct reports and between colleagues. Empathy and authenticity are key components of healthy workplace culture.

The massive societal shifts underway have changed company cultures and employees' perception of mental health. Although employers have started to invest more, employees have rightfully increased their expectations. The future of workplace mental health demands culture change — with more vulnerability, compassion and sustainable ways of working. We've already started down the path of widespread cultural change as a result of Covid-19. Let's use this moment to create new ways of working.

Written by: Kelly Greenwood and Julia Anas
© 2021 Harvard Business School Publishing Corp. Distributed by The New York Times Licensing Group