Survey finds disconnect between perceptions of employers, workers

The pandemic and its aftermath have shined a bright light on mental health issues in the workplace.

“Mental health today has a greater meaning for employees,” according to the latest Mental Health Report Card. ”And while employers have made some improvement in overall sentiment, we see some alarming decreases in how the workforce perceives support of mental health in the workplace.”

LifeSpeak and Lighthouse Research & Advisory surveyed 1,000 employers and 1,000 workers in North America to understand their sentiments and priorities around mental health and wellbeing in the workplace. They found that employees were 49% less likely to say that their employer made significant positive changes to support mental health and wellbeing in the last 18 months. Workers also were 25% more likely to say that their company doesn’t have a true culture that prioritizes health and wellbeing and 23% more likely to be uncomfortable or simply unsure about talking about mental health at work.

“While talent leaders are working to make an impact, the gaps between employer and employee perceptions for key metrics took a step in the wrong direction over the last year,” the report said. “Employees who said they don’t feel consistent mental health support from their employer were five and a half times more likely to have plans to quit their job.”

Work isn’t the only thing that causes stress for any employees, but employer-sponsored mental health benefits offer a critical path toward wellness, decreased stress and improved mental wellbeing. Employees who rated their personal mental health high were three times more likely to say they feel like their mental wellbeing is supported by their employer.

Mental health is a highly personal journey for each employee in the workplace. Overall, 83% of workers who gave a high score to their employer’s support of their mental health have no plans to quit their job anytime soon. Tapping into the specific needs of each employee group can carry that retention benefit further than a “one-size-fits-all” approach to workplace mental health.

Read more: Employers should look deeper to address mental health

“The evidence is clear,” the report concluded. “Employers who offer a more strategic, personalized set of mental health benefits will experience the rewards of a mentally well workforce. The results were concerning in some cases and alarming in others. But the bottom line is that support for mental health is no longer optional in today’s competitive talent environment.”