ALEXANDRIA, Va.—Three-quarters of U.S. employees report high rates of work stress negatively impacting sleep, with three in five reporting an impact on relationships, according to new data released today by Mental Health America (MHA) in its seventh Annual Mind the Workplace report. Generation Z employees and Millennials report poorer overall work health scores than other generations, with 71% of Generation Z employees and 59% of Millennials having unhealthy work health scores—compared with 52% of Generation X employees and 42% of Baby Boomers.
The report is based on an analysis of survey responses from nearly 4,000 U.S. employees across 21 industries. Employees were asked about experiences of trust, appreciation, psychological safety, and support at work and its impact on their well-being.
“After seven years of MHA gathering and analyzing 75,000 work health surveys, building a culture of trust continues to be non-negotiable. The findings from this year’s Mind the Workplace report confirm, once again, that employers achieve positive health outcomes when they invest in the organizational-wide strategies that live outside of benefits and compliance,” said Suzi Craig, VP of MHA’s Workplace Mental Health program. “Investing in mental health in the workplace means going beyond a programmatic approach and understanding how your specific worker population needs support by leadership, managers, and each other every day ,”
Indeed, a psychologically safe working environment can act as a protective factor for an employee’s mental health, the report shows. Transparent communication and supportive people management specifically are strongly associated with trust, appreciation, and psychological safety. However, in 2024, less than half of employees agreed that their employer encourages clear and transparent communication (47%) and invests in developing fair and supportive people managers (45%).
Compared to other generations, 63% of Generation Z employees reported not feeling confident expressing their opinions, and 60% disagreed that they could be themselves at work. Evidence shows that a lack of psychological safety in the workplace can result in poorer workplace relationships and increase an employee’s intent to leave an organization.
The report’s release coincides with World Mental Health Day, which this year has a theme of “mental health at work” to highlight the vital connection between well-being and a healthy workplace. MHA will host a webinar, “World Mental Health Day: Leveraging Research to Champion Workplace Mental Health,” featuring two Platinum level Bell Seal for Workplace Mental Health employers, General Dynamics Internet Technology (GDIT) and MHA of South Central Kansas, an affiliate of Mental Health America.
“Most of us spend most of our waking hours in the workplace, and those environments and experiences can vary dramatically. There are common threads, however—the importance of reducing stress, promoting psychological safety, and creating open and supportive organizational cultures—that impact all employees,” MHA President and CEO Schroeder Stribling said. “We hope business leaders will review this year’s findings with an eye toward prioritizing employee well-being for their teams, which ultimately benefits the health of the organization.”
Ninety-seven percent of employees who work in a mentally healthy workplace agree that they feel a sense of belonging, compared with just nine percent of workers in unhealthy workplaces. Among employees who felt a sense of belonging, 95% strongly agreed that their employer invests in developing fair and supportive managers.
Other significant findings from survey respondents include:
- Employers who value productivity over micromanagement understand the importance of transparent communications. Of employees who agreed that their employer values productivity over micromanagement, 94% strongly agreed that they encourage transparent communication at all levels.
- Employers who understand their workforce’s needs can provide the most appropriate and effective benefits. Of employees who agreed that their employer ensures benefits meet their needs, 81% strongly agreed that their employer makes changes based on employees’ feedback.
- People management training and flexible work options promote autonomy and support employees’ work-life balance. Seventy-four percent of employees could structure their schedules or workload to meet their needs in workplaces that provided training for people managers and flexible work options.
- Employees understand their value at work but often go unrecognized for their efforts. Seventy-eight percent of employees reported knowing how their efforts contribute to their organization's success, but only 59% felt appreciated by their employer.
Read the full 2024 Mind the Workplace report here.
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About Mental Health America
Mental Health America is the nation’s leading community-driven nonprofit dedicated to promoting mental health and well-being, resilience, recovery, and closing the mental health equity gap. Mental Health America’s work is driven by its commitment to promote mental health as a critical part of whole person health, including prevention services for all; early identification and intervention for those at risk; and integrated care, services and supports for those who need them. Learn more at MHAnational.org.