Nearly half (45 per cent) of U.S. employees have higher expectations for their employer’s level of workplace mental-health support in 2023 compared to last year, according to a new survey by the Society for Human Resource Management and the SHRM Foundation.
The survey, which polled more than 1,000 workers, found roughly two-fifths (41 per cent) said they’re willing to leave their current role for an employer that prioritizes mental health.
The majority (84 per cent) of respondents who said their job has had a positive impact on their mental health over the past six months were more likely to be deeply committed to their organization, compared to employees who said their job has had no impact (64 per cent) or a negative impact (27 per cent) on their mental health.
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Nearly half (49 per cent) of employees who said their job has had a negative impact on their mental health were more likely to be actively searching for a job, compared to workers who said their job has had no impact (23 per cent) or a positive impact (14 per cent).
Nearly two-thirds (63 per cent) of all respondents said access to better mental-health resources at work would help improve their mental health and 77 per cent said employers are responsible for reducing mental-health disparities among workers.
“It is clear that the need to establish mental health as a top priority within organizations is essential,” said Wendi Safstrom, president of the SHRM Foundation, in a press release. “We must act now if we wish to create a world of work that allows both employers and employees to thrive and lead healthy, productive organizations.”
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