Despite having more demanding roles tied to a higher degree of stress, frontline workers are less aware of employer mental wellbeing benefits, more likely to say they do not have a problem, and–even when they acknowledge a problem–are less likely to reach out for help than their non-frontline colleagues, according to a new meQuilibrium (meQ) study of frontline worker mental well-being released today. The study of 1,183 US-based workers revealed that rates of anxiety and depression among frontline workers are 33% and 61% higher, respectively, and when facing high stress, they are 30% less likely to seek out professional assistance, compared to their non-frontline counterparts.
“Frontline workers regularly interact with frustrated customers, work irregular shifts, lack paid time off, and have minimal autonomy over duties assigned by managers, which can contribute to higher rates of burnout, anxiety, depression, and secondary traumatic stress, compared to their corporate colleagues,” said Brad Smith, Ph.D., Chief Science Officer at meQ. “Unfortunately, frontline workers are often unaware of their well-being options and their irregular hours can impede appointment scheduling, resulting in a gap between their needs and use of relevant benefits.”
Even though frontline workers are less aware of mental well-being benefits, meQ’s workforce well-being research shows that frontline populations demonstrate significantly larger improvements in resilience–the skill that protects workers from burnout risk – than non-frontline populations. In a sample of more than 18,000 employees across the two populations, these data show that frontline staff have a 42% greater improvement in resilience than non-frontline populations.
Frontline Workers Hesitate to Admit They Need Support
Despite grappling with more demanding roles and the associated impacts on mental well-being, frontline staff are not always open to support. They are 64% more likely than non-frontline peers…
Read the full article here
