Press Release: 2023 Mental Health Report Card
New report shows employers making progress on workplace mental health; however, women, people of color, working parents, and remote workers say support and culture are lacking
2023 Employer Mental Health Report Card reveals that employees are 5.5 times more likely to consider leaving their job if their employer does not consistently support mental wellbeing
TORONTO (September 6, 2023) – While attention to mental wellbeing is broadening in the workplace, employees perceive diminishing support, especially in key demographics, highlighting the work still underway to close gaps in policy and practice. According to a new report from LifeSpeak Inc. (TSX: LSPK), the leading whole-person wellbeing solution for employers, health plans, and other organizations, employer scores in key performance areas have decreased in comparison to the 2022 report, and employees say lack of support for mental wellbeing makes them more likely to consider leaving their job. These findings and more were revealed today in the 2023 Employer Mental Health Report Card from LifeSpeak Inc. and Lighthouse Research & Advisory.
While the overall sentiment regarding employer support for mental health has improved, organizations are still falling short in essential areas and failing to meet the needs of key workforce populations, including women, people of color, working parents, and remote workers. As a result, employees who do not feel consistent support for mental health from their employers are 5.5 times more likely to say they are thinking about leaving their jobs.
“As the lines between work and personal lives increasingly intersect, employers need to show empathy and understanding for the vast responsibilities that employees juggle every day, the stressors they bring to work with them, and how the workplace can contribute to or detract from employee mental health,” said Michael Held, founder and CEO of LifeSpeak Inc. “Employees are no longer willing to sacrifice their mental health for a paycheck and a title. Organizations that recognize this and establish a supportive culture and accessible mental health benefits will have a distinct advantage in the marketplace.”
According to the report, employees gave their employers an overall score of 6.6 out of 10 for their workplace mental health efforts. This marks an increase from the 2022 survey score of 4.4. However, the survey also revealed that employees were 49% less likely to say their employer made significant positive changes to support mental health in 2023 than in 2022. In addition, they were 25% more likely to say their company does not have a culture that prioritizes mental wellbeing.
While industry studies show that executives increasingly
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70% of working parents say their company made no positive changes to support workplace mental health and were 2.5 times more likely to say they are making plans to quit their job in the next six months. Working parents were also three times as likely to say their company does not provide adequate support for caregivers.
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Employees of color are 17% more likely to say their company has not made positive changes to mental health and twice as likely to say they aren’t sure what changes their employer has made.
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Although the majority of employees who shifted to a remote work setting report it was a positive change, 7 in 10 have thought about quitting their job due to mental health or stress related to remote work.
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Less than 1% of women believe their company has a strong culture of mental health, if they don’t experience that support on a personal level. Women who say their mental health is consistently supported at work are 2.25 times less likely to leave their jobs.
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Employees were two and a half times more likely to say they had thought about quitting their job if they didn’t feel supported by the company’s mental wellbeing efforts.
Conversely, the research also highlights the impacts when organizations do invest adequately in mental health. Specifically, employers who prioritize establishing a supportive culture see extensive benefits: 83% of highly satisfied workers reported no intention to change jobs, and those accessing personalized benefits rated their wellbeing 51% higher. Overall, the data demonstrates that strategically supporting mental health engagement leads to a more retained, resilient workforce.
“Mental wellbeing is not a one-and-done proposition. We encourage leaders and human resources teams to stay in touch with the changing needs of their workforce and the demographics of their population so they can provide useful, personally relevant services, support, and policies,” said Held. “And to truly demonstrate your commitment to mental wellbeing, managers should practice what they preach and model the mental health self-care they want employees to adopt.”
Conducted by Lighthouse Research & Advisory, the study consisted of surveys with 1,000 individual employees and 1,000 human resources professionals in the first quarter of 2023. To learn more about this research or to download the full report, visit https://www.lifespeak.
About LifeSpeak Inc.
At LifeSpeak Inc., we believe that wellbeing can’t wait. LifeSpeak Inc. is the leading provider of mental, physical, and family wellbeing solutions for employers, health plans, and other organizations. With a suite of digital solutions, LifeSpeak enables organizations to deliver best-in-class content and human expertise at scale, catering to employees throughout their wellbeing journeys. The LifeSpeak Inc. portfolio of solutions spans every pillar of wellbeing, including LifeSpeak Mental Health & Resilience, Wellbeats Wellness, Torchlight Parenting & Caregiving, ALAViDA Substance Use, and LIFT session Fitness. Collectively, LifeSpeak Inc. has more than 30 years of experience working with Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, insurance providers, unions, and other organizations across the globe. Insights from LifeSpeak Inc.’s digital and data-driven solutions empower organizations and individuals to take impactful action to address gaps in wellbeing, ultimately enhancing workplace performance outcomes. To learn more, follow LifeSpeak Inc. on LinkedIn (http://www.linkedin.com/
About Lighthouse Research
Lighthouse Research & Advisory is a human capital management research firm that guides and advises today’s most innovative employers and HR technology providers. From recruiting and learning to employee wellbeing and engagement, the groundbreaking research performed by Lighthouse helps to guide critical talent decisions and strategies for organizations around the world. Every year, more than 10,000 employers interact with Lighthouse via its events, research, advisory, and other resources. Learn more at LHRA.io.