In 2023, women took 69 per cent of all leaves of absence related to mental health in North America, according to a new report by ComPsych Corp.
The report, which analyzed data from more than 5,700 employers in Canada and the U.S., found 33 per cent of mental-health leaves were taken by millennial women, followed by generation X women (30 per cent).
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In addition, the data showed mental-health leaves increased by 300 per cent from 2017 to 2023. In 2023 alone, mental-health leaves increased by 33 per cent compared to the previous year.
“Our data shows that millennial and gen X women are most likely to need a mental health-related leave of absence,” said Richard A. Chaifetz, founder, chief executive officer and chairman of ComPsych, in a press release. “Human resources teams must invest in resources and programming that relates to issues commonly faced by these demographics: from the pressures of managing teams, the stress of buying a home for the first time, acclimating back at work as a new parent or worrying about care for aging relatives.”
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