Mental health at work: 8 reasons employers can’t ignore it

With stress, anxiety and other mental health challenges impacting many people, mental health at work is a key issue for employers to address. Deloitte Global’s 2024 Gen Z Millennial Survey shows us there is growing workplace awareness – and an increasing number of employers are providing resources for their employees – yet it also shows us how much more remains to be done.

That’s why today, on World Mental Health Day, I’m sharing eight important findings from this research that shine a light on why mental health in the workplace should be a focus for employers – and why addressing these concerns should be prioritized:

• Four in 10 Gen Zs and over a third of millennials say they feel stressed or anxious all or most of the time.
• This is higher still for the women surveyed – and particularly so for Gen Z women, with a twelve percentage points negative variance between women and men when it comes to feeling stressed and anxious all or most of the time.
• Millennials and Gen Zs in under-represented groups – LGBT+, ethnic minority groups and people with disabilities – are also more likely to say they feel stressed or anxious all or most of the time; this is most significant for people with disabilities (61% of these respondents).
• While the report shows a year-over-year improvement for the provision of workplace support, this does not translate into widespread use of such support – particularly by those who most need it, with – for example – only around four in 10 of those who feel stressed or anxious all or most of the time availing themselves of their Employee Assistance Program at work.
• While drivers of stress and anxiety for the survey respondents include factors outside work – most notably their longer-term financial future and the health and welfare of their families – around a third of respondents say their jobs contribute to their overall stress; and for half of those ?respondents, long working hours plays a key role.
• When it comes to their workplace experiences, a third of Gen Z workers say they feel micro-managed and three in 10 say their work lacks purpose. And the same number report feeling lonely or isolated.
• Half of Gen Z and over four in 10 millennials feel burned out at work; yet only around half of both generations believe their employers are taking steps to prevent burnout.?
• Despite progress made during the COVID-19 pandemic when it comes to awareness of mental health at work, around three in 10 don’t believe senior leaders are prioritizing mental health in the workplace. Approximately the same number believe that their direct manager would discriminate against them if they were to raise concerns about mental health.

The reality conveyed by this data can’t be ignored. To learn more about the actions employers can take to support mental health in the workplace, explore the full report here.