More than one-third of US workers report that their mental health has taken a turn for the worse. What’s the culprit? Survey respondents say, among other factors, long hours and excessive workloads. For example, the survey found that nearly half who reported decreased mental health worked more than 50 hours per week.
What could help address these mental health concerns? Flexibility and work-life balance are the top things workers believe would help. More than half say being able to take “no work” PTO days without guilt would be useful—the top response.
The latest workforce survey from The Conference Board polled more than 1,100 individuals—predominantly office workers. Respondents weighed in on their mental health, engagement levels, and job security. Mental health is defined as a state of mind characterized by emotional well-being, good behavioral adjustment, relative freedom from anxiety and disabling symptoms, and a capacity to establish constructive relationships and cope with the ordinary demands and stresses of life. Key findings include:
Workers report their mental health is decreasing.
34 percent say their self-reported level of mental health is lower than six months ago.
37 percent say their sense of belonging is lower.
Despite decreasing engagement (the desire to go above and beyond), nearly 70 percent say they are working harder than is expected of them.
37 percent say their level of engagement is lower than six months ago. At the same time, 69 percent say they are applying more effort than is expected at their job occasionally or consistently compared to six months ago.
Engagement is decreasing more for Millennials than other generations.
43 percent of Millennials say their level of engagement has decreased in the last six months, compared to 38 percent of Gen X and 34 percent of Baby Boomers.
This may be why 40 percent of Millennials report doing only what is expected of them or less (think “Bare Minimum Mondays”), compared to 30 percent of Gen…
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