Half (51 per cent) of employers say mental-health leaves of absence are increasing and four in 10 employees said they’ve taken a leave of absence to care for their own mental health, according to a new survey by wellness app Headspace.
The survey, which polled more than 250 U.K. and U.S. employers and more than 2,000 employees, found three-quarters (75 per cent) of employees reported being available even when taking time off from work and 71 per cent employees reported working outside of their expected schedule.
While 62 per cent of executives said they feel very comfortable enforcing boundaries with work, while only 38 per cent of middle managers and 41 per cent of employees feel the same.
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It also found the majority (92 per cent) of employees said their sleep is negatively impacted by work at least occasionally. In addition, more than half (57 per cent) of U.S. employees and 75 per cent of workers in remote working arrangements report having cried at work, signalling how isolating work stress can be.
However, nearly 60 per cent of workers involved in employee resource groups said they feel a greater sense of belonging and psychological safety within their company and 45 per cent said they’ve found a community and built connections within ERGs.
The top benefits that employees said would make them more likely to stay at a job were employee-sponsored team and culture building, as well as professional development and upskilling.
Read: Employees hesitant to take time off turning to ‘quiet vacationing’: expert
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