Mind Share Partners/Harris Poll survey helps guide company efforts during Mental Health Awareness Month and beyond.
SAN FRANCISCO – On the eve of Mental Health Awareness Month, Mind Share Partners, a national workplace mental health nonprofit, today released a survey by The Harris Poll, on the state of employee mental wellbeing. Over a third of full-time employed Americans (35%) say that stress about their mental health impacts their ability to do their work, higher than stress about physical health (30%), job security (25%), social issues (17%), and caregiving (16%). 79% say that it would make their work experience better if their employer says they care about their mental wellbeing.
“Mental Health Awareness Month is an opportunity for companies to reflect on their long-term approach and the links between workers’ mental wellbeing and productivity,” said Jen Porter, Interim CEO of Mind Share. “Our message is twofold: talk about mental health to reduce persistent stigma and implement strategic, high-yielding changes to your workplace culture. The future of work depends on how employers adapt their company culture and lead with heart.”
Anxiety-related disability charges to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission have grown 29% since 2019. ComPsych, the world’s largest mental health EAP provider, recently published a report finding that mental health-related absences are up 33% from 2022, and up 300% from 2017, with anxiety being the most commonly reported issue.
Other findings from the poll include:
About half of full-time employed Americans (48%) are anxious about their job security.
89% say allowing for better work-life balance, with 86% citing autonomy and flexibility to get their work done, as actions their employer can take to make their overall work experience better.
Despite more vocal opposition to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in recent months, employers ensuring fairness and equality at work – a key factor in a mentally healthy culture – is a high priority (84%) for full time workers when it comes to improved work experience.
Today’s politics can cause anxiety and unrest. 80% of full-time workers want their employers to remain politically neutral. 59% would find it favorable if their company speaks up on social issues, even controversial ones. This was particularly true of younger full-time employees aged 18-54 (62%) compared to those aged 55-64 (43%).
This survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of Mind Share Partners from April 18 - 22, 2024 among 1,065 full time employed adults ages 18 and older. The sampling precision of Harris online polls is measured by using a Bayesian credible interval. For this study, the sample data is accurate to within +/- 3.6 percentage points using a 95% confidence level. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables and subgroup sample sizes, please contact Mind Share Partners.
Mind Share Partners’ biennial report in partnership with Qualtrics published last October found that a healthy culture of work was most helpful to workers’ mental health. Today’s survey conducted by The Harris Poll on behalf of Mind Share Partners was a pulse-check on employee sentiment over the past six months in the wake of DEI backlash, corporate layoffs, and geo-politics.
Mind Share Partners is a 501(c)(3) national nonprofit organization that is changing the culture of workplace mental health so that both employees and organizations can thrive.
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