2024 State of Workplace Empathy: The Barriers to Mental Wellbeing at Work

The Barriers toMental Wellbeingat Work Businessolver’s ninth annual State of WorkplaceEmpathy study reveals how workplace stigmaand toxicity perpetuate mental health issues COVER IMAGE HERETable of Contents Stigmas and Toxicity Persistas Mental Health Issues Climb3 Burnout and Barriers to EmpathyFuel Mental Health Issues andWorkplace Toxicity 9 Bridging the Gap: Mental HealthBenefits Are Highly Desired butSeverely Underutilized Report Title, Open SansPutting Empathy Into Actionto Support Mental Wellbeing17 Stigmas and Toxicity Persistas Mental Health Issues Climb Empathy is lacking in today’s workplaces, and it hasa cascading effect on culture and mental health I’ve heard other companies actually offer mental health days. I have to just say I’m sick ifI’m like feeling sad or having a bad week, because taking a day off for my mental healthwouldn’t be a valid excuse in my field. –Healthcare employee interview, 2024 State of Workplace Empathy A staggering 55% of CEOs (+24 points from 2023) and 50% ofemployees have experienced a mental health issue in the past year,according to our ninth annual State of Workplace Empathy findingswhich surveyed over 3,100 employees, HR professionals, and CEOs.Gen Z self-reports the highest mental health issues at 65%. State of Mental Wellbeingin Today’s Workplace Mental Health Issues:55% of CEOs, 50% of employees,and 45% of HR professionalsexperienced a mental healthissue in the past year Beyond widespread mental health issues, data also points to apervasive mental health stigma among U.S. workers: CEOs (81%),HR (72%), and employees (67%) all agree that companies viewsomeone with mental health issues as weak or a burden. The decline in mental wellbeing isn’t surprising—the post-COVID erahas been fraught with challenges from every angle over the past fouryears, from financial strife to social and political tensions. But thisyear, our data brought forward another instigator: Workplace toxicity. Stigma at Work:81% of CEOs, 72% of HRprofessionals, and 67% ofemployees say companies viewsomeone with mental healthissues as weak or a burden Half of all CEOs (52%) and one in three employees view theirworkplaces as toxic. Data likewise revealed a strong relationshipbetween the perception of workplace toxicity and mental healthissues: Employees who say their culture is toxic are 47% more likelyto cite mental health issues compared to those who do not cite atoxic workplace. For CEOs, this is even higher at 64%. Workplace Toxicity:52% of CEOs, 36% of HR, and35% of employees say theirworkplaces are toxic While the data is bleak, it also points to a solution: Employersmust be intentional about extinguishing stigmas and toxicitywhile putting parallel effort into promoting mental healthbenefits and empathy in the workplace. Barriers to Empathy: 42% of employees say it’shard for them to consistentlydemonstrate empathy, and 72%of CEOs say they’ll be challengedon decisions if they use empathy In this report, we explore how barriers to empathy and deep-seatedstigmas are feeding workplace toxicity and perpetuating the ongoingmental health struggles in today’s workplaces. See the top-rated behaviors that demonstrate empathy in“A Game Plan for Putting Empathy Into Action.” Mental Health Issues Are Widespreadin the Workplace and Benefits JustAren’t Helping Like They Should I’ve been open about my ownmental health experience andcan empathize with those whoface their own struggles today.As a leader, my thinking immediatelygoes to how do we fix this? Butmental health isn’t something youfix for someone. Employers, however,do play a vital role in providingempathetic pathways to supportemployees who are struggling withtheir mental health. On the heels of the pandemic, visibility of mental healthissues has increased alongside investment in mentalhealth benefits. In fact, according to Mercer, 94% of largeemployers have enhanced their mental health coverage,increased support, or introduced new programs over thepast three years. And yet, the state of mental wellbeingamong U.S. employees isn’t getting better—and somebenefits, such as employee assistance programs (EAPs),just don’t seem to be having the desired impact. This year’s findings reveal large gaps in both awarenessfor mental health benefits and utilization of thosebenefits—despite the fact that mental health benefitsare highly valued by employees.On average, 70-pointgaps exist between the benefits employees say areimportant and those they use. –Rae Shanahan, BusinessolverChief Strategy Officer Jump to“Bridging the Gap: Mental Health BenefitsAre Highly Desired but Severely Underutilized”to learn more about this benefits gap. Employers play a crucial role in offering cost-effectiveand accessible benefits and resources to support mentalwellness in the workplace. Over the nine years of ourstudy, flexibility has consistently been recognized as a keyempathetic benefit, and this year flexible working hourswere likewise rated as a to