“I’m not an employee’s babysitter, mom, or therapist,” the CEO insisted. The issue that prompted his call: His company’s 2024 employee survey revealed that many employees expect mental health benefits.
“What are these employees thinking?” he asked. “We offer generous sick leave benefits, but are we asking for paid mental health leave on top of that? Employees need to deal with their own personal issues.”
Good luck, I told him. According to a national survey, 61% of Gen Z employees, 48% of Millennial employees, and 41% of all U.S. employees would say they would be offered a job that would significantly improve their mental health benefits. report that they are much more likely to quit their current job.
These employees have high expectations of what their employer has to offer, with 58% asking for paid mental health leave (in addition to regular sick leave). 48% want paid or unpaid time off to deal with mental health issues. 44% want flexible scheduling, including part-time work hours, job sharing, and flexible start and finish times. 35% want mental health coverage as part of their employee health care plan. and 35% seek free or subsidized virtual mental health services.
reason? Mental health issues are on the rise, with 86% of employees reporting that they suffer from at least one type of mental health issue. MetLife’s annual U.S. Employee Benefits Trends Survey released in March confirmed that U.S. employees are experiencing an increasing number of mental health concerns. The American Psychological Association has similarly opined, suggesting that American workers are experiencing the psychological effects of collective trauma from mass shootings. global conflict. Climate-related disasters. An unpredictable economy with high inflation. The aftermath of the pandemic and an increasingly polarized country.
In late March, ComPsych, the world’s largest mental health service provider, analyzed more than 300,000 cases in the United States and reported a dramatic increase in anxiety among U.S. employees in 2023. In 2017, anxiety wasn’t even in the top five mental health concerns, but in 2023, it will be more likely than employees to seek help for stress, depression, addiction, or relationship or family issues. More employees also sought help for anxiety.
When I spoke to the manager who initiated this column’s call, he said: How can we give our employees what they want: paid mental health days and coverage for mental health counseling?”
I replied that you might find that you can benefit from increased productivity. Employees with poor mental health report four times as many unscheduled absences as those with good mental health. According to a report by ComPsych, mental health-related leave of absence ranging from days to weeks was 33% higher in 2023 than in 2022, and a whopping 300% higher than in 2017.
Additionally, 4 in 10 employees say they are more likely to leave their current job for a job that offers better mental health benefits, so provide mental health benefits. Employers benefit in employee recruitment and retention.
Should employers address employee mental health issues? It’s a new reality.
