The COVID pandemic clearly has had a negative impact on employee mental health in this country, and there is much work ahead to boost psychological and emotional wellbeing on the job.
According to the 2022 Mind the Workplace report, employees are struggling to cope with the changes and stresses brought on and exacerbated by the pandemic. For instance, 71% of respondents say that they’re having difficulties concentrating on their work. This is nearly double the number who reported this problem in 2018.
“Several factors may be contributing to this increase, but two years of living and working through the pandemic could contribute to lesser concentration at work,” said Taylor Adams, director of workplace mental health at Mental Health America (MHA), the report’s sponsor.
Among other findings from Mind the Workplace:
- 4 in 5 employees report that workplace stress affects their relationships with friends, family, and coworkers.
- Over half (56%) of all surveyed employees have spent time looking for a new position.
- 40% of workers agree that their company invests in developing supportive managers.
- Only 34% say their company’s leadership speaks openly about mental health.
- 3 in 5 employees agree that their manager cares about their wellbeing, but only 2 in 5 say their manger encourages them to take time off when needed; and 2 in 3 workers say they’re not comfortable providing feedback to their manager.
- 47% of employees know about their company’s mental health services, but only 38% would be comfortable using these services even if they knew about them.
As the pandemic wore on, many companies implement programs to address stress management, burnout mitigation, anxiety reduction, and other mental health issues. It’s a little early to tell how much of an impact these efforts may have had. However, some people have become desensitized or adjusted stress, pressure, and anxiety.
“These past two years of disruption have created new and perplexing question for employers with regard to employee mental health and overall wellbeing,” said Schroeder Stribling, President and CEO of MHA. “For instance: how do we effectively support employees with children at home during school closure? How do we promote positive connectively amongst workers now distanced from one another, work in virtual spaces? Or How do we effectively support the mental health needs to employees experiencing unprecedented levels of stress and anxiety during a global health threat?”
This reports suggests that stress and pressure levels are lower in the healthiest of workplaces. However, people across the board are still suffering. The fact that over half of workers say they’re looking for a new position suggests that most companies have a long way to go in helping their teams feel comfortable, engaged, valued, and appreciated.
Download the full survey here.
