67% of employees want their employer to provide mental health support

Stress at work is becoming a major driver of mental health challenges, especially in the wake of the pandemic, which magnified feelings of anxiety, stress, burnout and loneliness, and employees want their employers to help.

Calm, a software company that provides meditation tools, polled its users to find out what situations prompted them to use the stress-relief products it offers. Challenges at work topped the list, ranking higher than personal illness, family health concerns and loss of a loved one, according to the “2023 Workplace Mental Health Trends: The Future of Work” study. More than two-thirds (67%) of employees want their employer to help them take care of their stress and anxiety, and Calm noted employers have the incentive to do so as mental health can impact employee performance and potentially increase costs.

“The study highlights the urgency employers should feel to implement an effective mental health strategy into their workplace,” says Scott Domann, chief people officer at Calm. “With work stress now the leading driver of mental health challenges in the U.S., and 50% of employees saying work stress bleeds into their personal lives, it is critical to the health and happiness of our employees and their loved ones that we take this data seriously.

“To create engaged, productive and effective teams, we need to prioritize mental health at the center of the employee experience,” continued Domann. “And it’s cost-effective to do so. Research has shown that for every $1 invested in the mental health of your employees, employers can save $2-$4 on other expenses such as health care costs.”

Calm’s survey found that mental health challenges and potential solutions can be complex. For instance, it discovered that employees need help not only with their own mental health but also with the mental health of their family members. Half of female parents polled said they think about their children’s mental health while they are at work. The survey also found higher levels of stress, anxiousness and depression among neurodivergent (people whose brains develop or work differently), LGBTQ+, Hispanic and low-income employees – groups that also tend to perceive lower levels of mental health support from their employers.

Mental health has risen to the forefront of workplace conversation

Meanwhile, the new hybrid work trend driven by the pandemic has created a subset of employees who are happier and more likely to take care of their mental health by doing things like listening to music, exercising, spending time outdoors and meditating, the report found. However, working completely from home increased loneliness, decreased physical movement and blurred boundaries between work and home.

“In the past three years mental health has risen to the forefront of workplace conversation with HR and benefits leaders noting it as a top priority in the future of work,” said Domann. “However, our Calm Business report shows a discrepancy in what is actually being offered by workplaces, as less than a third of employees reported their workplace offers mental health support.”

Related: Mental health: How employers can help provide support

Domann said this could be a result of low awareness among employees of what their employer actually offers, a true lack of benefits in the workplace, and/or employees not experiencing their employer’s day-to-day commitment to creating an environment that supports mental health and wellness.

How employers can address mental health challenges

Calm said there are several ways employers can address mental health challenges, starting with recognizing that the workplace is a main source of stress and working to be proactive rather than reactive to their workforce’s mental health needs. Employers can also promote social connection to address loneliness and reduce stress.

“As we enter a new year, employers have a responsibility to be part of the solution by taking a proactive and preventative approach to caring for their employee’s mental health with offerings like Calm Business,” said Domann. “Mental health benefits are not one-size-fits-all. We see this clearly in our report data of the varying needs diverse community groups have. A good place to start is to conduct surveys to better understand the unique needs of your workforce. These findings can then be used to shine a light on any blind spots that need to be addressed and inform workplace mental health strategies and benefits packages.”

Employers should focus on populations of employees that have the greatest mental health needs, including female and LGBTQ+ parents; address higher stress, anxiousness and loneliness experienced by younger employees; and increase awareness of mental health tools by integrating them into the workday.

“Employers need to be obvious and proactive about the mental health support they provide and continuously survey employees about how they are doing and the kind of support needed,” said Domann. “For example, we recently launched Calm Business for Zoom Meetings for our Calm Business employers to help them integrate Calm meditations and mindfulness content into their work meetings more seamlessly and encourage employees to take advantage of the mental health resources available to them in and out of the workplace.”

Domann also emphasized the importance of training managers to lead mindfully and recognize signs of stress and burnout in employees. Managers should have regular check-ins with their team, allowing a safe and open space to discuss how they can best support, he said.

“Lastly, we need to take the taboo out of talking about mental health,” said Domann. “It’s okay to feel stressed and it’s okay to not be okay. Encourage leaders and executives to talk about their stress and how they care for their own mental health. Employees will see these examples and feel more comfortable discussing their own stress and mental health needs at work.”

Kristen Beckman is a freelance writer based in Colorado. She previously was a writer and editor for ALM’s Retirement Advisor magazine and LifeHealthPro online channel.