American workers are battling a mental health crisis. How can employers help?
Prior to the pandemic, 62% of employees reported having positive mental health, MarTech Group found. Now, that figure is just 28%.
It’s been a tough year — the toughest ever for many. The arrival and approval of a COVID-19 vaccine has lit a light at the end of a very long, dark tunnel, but there is still some way to go, and Americans are hurting.
A recent survey by the Disability Management Employer Coalition (DMEC) took the temperature on workers’ mental health through the pandemic, and the results are not all that surprising.
According to DMEC, survey data collected in September found over 60% of American adults reported experiencing frequent feelings of nervousness, anxiety, and feeling on edge. More than half (53%) say they have not been able to stop worrying, and 48% reported feeling down, depressed or hopeless.
As workers continue to operate remotely full-time and return-to-office plans take shape, new post-pandemic issues surrounding employee well-being, productivity and scheduling needs will pose new challenges to employers.
The top impacts, concerns for organizations
The DMEC survey polled benefits and administration workers from 409 U.S.-based employers from August to September, and the results identified a few major themes.
Nearly every business has been affected by modified school schedules as working parents have had to juggle work with new childcare challenges, and employers are worried about its impact on productivity.
When asked how challenging do you feel a modified back-to-school schedule will be for your organization as a whole, 78% said somewhat or very challenging. As a result, 59% of employers surveyed fear they will see a reduction in productivity and focus, and 52% are already seeing an increase in requests for leave.
Michelle Jackson, assistant VP, sales enablement at Unum, says this reality has and will continue to force organizations to adapt and evolve to better serve their staff.
“The results showed significant agreement that modified school schedules were causing a great deal of disruption,” Jackson said, “forcing employers to rethink their approaches to everything from work schedules, to meetings, to how they support [employees] technologically as well as program and services.”
Jackson says the pandemic has only exacerbated an existing problem for many working parents who must juggle careers with the full-time job of family childcare and eldercare — especially for women.
The September jobs report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that women have left the labor force in September at a much more significant rate than men, with over 865,000 females leaving the labor force in September compared to only 216,000 men.
“For those industries that have a larger female workforce, you can see that it is resulting in significant stressors,” Jackson said, “and that impact is expected to have a long economic tale, as evidenced by the number of employees who are right now dipping into retirement savings in order to make monthly living expenses, who may be laid off or furloughed, and even as we emerge from the pandemic with the potential for a vaccine right on our doorsteps.”
How are employers responding?
When asked, “How concerned are you with your employees’ mental health or wellness needs as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact life?” 85% of employers said they were somewhat or very concerned. The use of mental health and wellness benefits is also on the rise, and 67% of employers expect a continued increase.
To meet the evolving needs of workers, 76% of employers surveyed are offering flexible schedules, while 58% are allowing full-time work from home. Nearly half (48%) are allowing reduced work hours without having a reduction in income.
“While each of these accommodations are compassionate and supportive in today’s environment, this is actually resulting in added stress and responsibility for employees who are now teachers trying to juggle their daily work as well as homecare or schooling,” Jackson said.
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