Mental health in the workplace, 2023 preview

Recent surveys and reports on workplace issues have shown that employees and HR leaders agree: addressing the mental health concerns of workers is a top priority. But as we look forward to 2023, it’s a good time to contemplate where this consensus will lead, and which workplace mental health areas will get the most attention.

One recent report, the Lyra State of Mental Health Survey, polled more than 1,000 workers and more than 250 benefits leaders, and found that 84% of workers said “robust and comprehensive” mental health benefits were an important factor when considering a new job. In addition, 61% of benefits leaders believed that an employer has a responsibility for protecting the mental health of employees.

In its report, Lyra Health notes that, “The World Health Organization (WHO) has called on businesses across the globe to provide work that simultaneously prevents workers from experiencing excessive stress and mental health risks; protects and promotes workers’ mental health and wellbeing; and supports people to fully and effectively participate in the workforce, free from stigma, discrimination or abuse.”

And workers clearly want to see improvement on this issue: a global survey of 9,000 workers found that 48% of workers said their wellbeing declined in 2022, and 28% said they are miserable at work. To address these problems, companies will have to remain proactive in 2023, and continue to innovate as well as absorb the lessons from other organizations.

Providing more flexibility in scheduling

“The world has changed over the last couple of years,” says Keren Wasserman, program manager, Workforce Mental Health at Lyra Health. “It’s become much more interconnected, and the same is happening for workplaces, for both an individual’s health and for employees’ ability to show up to work fully.” She notes there were two main themes in the Lyra Health report: 1) that mental health benefits should start with the individual but also include family members, and 2) the importance of how companies structure jobs in a way that enhances mental health among workers.

There are a wide range of changes that companies are using to meet these goals. In addition to more flexibility around remote work, the Lyra Health report notes that employees are increasingly expecting to set their own schedules. Even the formerly rare practice of a four-day work week is likely to be adopted by more companies in coming months, the report says. The survey found that 45% already offer this practice, while 43% say they are considering it for 2023.

Employees would welcome the development, it seems. A recent experiment that involved 900 workers across 33 businesses in the U.S. and Ireland found that the employees who tried it rated it 9.1 on a 1-10 scale; 97% said they wanted to continue the practice, which gave employees 100% of their pay for 80% of former hours, with the requirement they complete 100% of their work. “Their self-reported levels of performance went up while burnout and fatigue went down,” an analysis by CNBC found. “They had more control over their schedules and also saved an hour per week on commuting, even though in-person work increased throughout the trial period.”

Wasserman says there are many signs that companies are adjusting their work design to allow workers to take better care of themselves. “We’re seeing employers making an effort to create more scheduling transparency,” she says. “Such as letting employees know when they’re expected to work, to give them more advance notice so that they can plan.”

In addition, companies are focusing on giving managers more resources, since they are the frontline workers in dealing with things like employee absences and scheduling. The Lyra Health study found that work-related managerial stress is the second-most cited factor that benefits leaders believe is adversely affecting their employees’ mental health; second only to COVID-19.

Stress has become a major concern

Some industry observers have said that dealing with stress will be a top issue for employers in 2023. A study by 1Password notes that “permacrisis” has been a term growing in popularity, as people process ongoing concerns about the pandemic, economic downturns, and even a war in Europe. All this stress is affecting the workplace, and the 1Password analysis notes that 1 in 3 employees (32%) say they’re the most stressed they’ve ever been in their lives, while 4 in 5 (79%) say they are distracted at work.

The differences between age groups plays a role here — workers of all ages are dealing with stress, but younger workers, who have faced significant changes and disruptions in their formative years, are more likely to affected by stress.

A study in the Journal of Vocational Behavior found that, for example, relative newcomers to the workforce did not cope as well with remote working. An analysis of the journal’s findings by Pharmacy Times notes that: “Early career workers were more likely to disengage during the pandemic, such as by showing a lack of interest or becoming cynical about work. Meanwhile, mid-career workers were found to be exhausted by the pandemic from managing other responsibilities, such as home schooling.”

Wasserman says that managers and employers should have a system for checking in on employees to monitor for stress and burnout. “We know that employees are experiencing burnout at work,” she says. “As leaders are thinking about supporting employees it’s really important to have a strategy around reducing burnout and considering ways to reduce mental health distress.”

A five-step program

Public health experts are also concerned about mental health issues among workers. In October, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, M.D., released a new framework for mental health and wellbeing in the workplace. “A healthy workforce is the foundation for thriving organizations and healthier communities,” says Murthy. “As we recover from the worst of the pandemic, we have an opportunity and the power to make workplaces engines for mental health and wellbeing, and this Surgeon General’s Framework shows us how we can start.”

The Surgeon General’s office outlined the framework as five essential steps that employers can take to protect and improve mental health in the workplace. These include:

• Protection from harm: employers should prioritize physical and psychological safety at work, enable adequate rest and normalize supporting mental health. Companies should also have diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility policies in place.

• Connection and community: workplaces can foster positive social interaction and relationships by creating cultures of inclusion and belonging and fostering collaboration and teamwork.

• Work-life harmony: the framework encourages giving workers more autonomy, making schedules as flexible and predictable as possible, and increasing access to paid leave.

• Mattering at work: knowing that you and your work is valued contributes to wellbeing; workplaces should provide a living wage, engage workers in decisions, and build a culture of recognition.
• Opportunities for growth: employers should work to create more opportunities for employees by offering training, education, and mentoring. Clear pathways for career advancement and relevant and reciprocal feedback are also important.

Related: Two-thirds of employers plan to make mental health a top concern

Wasserman says that the past months have provided valuable lessons on how to move forward. “My takeaway is that these strategies will help us to not just survive new challenges, but by supporting individuals in the organization and their managers, employers will be supporting the organization as a whole and helping it to flourish and thrive.”