The Employee Mental Health Crisis

by JT Galloway

In July of 2020, mental health benefits provider Lyra Health and the National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions published a State of Mental Health at Work report that revealed an alarming reality about workplace mental health:

Over 69% of employees said the pandemic had negatively impacted their mental health, and 40% were already battling burnout.

This was only four months into the pandemic. It's now a year later and these numbers have not changed much.

The report, based on a survey of over 1,000 employees and 300 HR/benefits professionals also brought to light another harsh reality: Employers really need to step up.

Despite a prevailing belief among employers that they were successfully addressing workplace health and well-being, 40% of employees say their employer doesn’t care about their mental health, beyond their ability to be productive.

Too many employers say they support employee well-being … but their workplace practices and policies say quite another thing altogether. And employees see right through the charade.

As it turns out, supporting—really supporting—employee mental health requires a deep commitment and plenty of work from all levels of an organization. And that’s a stretch for a lot of companies, especially if they’re clinging to the antiquated idea that making room for mental health results in a less productive and profitable company.

Fortunately, we now know better:

  • When organizations care about employee mental health, they put effective, helpful practices and support mechanisms in place.
  • These mechanisms combined with a culture of openness and caring (and plenty of general support) help improve employee mental health.
  • Employees are happier and more engaged. They call in sick less. Their work improves. So does their job satisfaction.
  • The company’s retention rate improves along with their reputation as an employer. And the entire business thrives.

It’s simple: Supporting employee mental health helps your employees and your business.

If your company is interested in having a culture that thrives and supports mental wellbeing, we'd love to come alongside you in your journey, so feel free to Contact Us today!