1|DocumentTitle|©Businessolver.com,Inc.2024.Allrightsreserved. TheBarriersto MentalWellbeingatWork Businessolver’sninthannualStateofWorkplaceEmpathystudyrevealshowworkplacestigmaandtoxicityperpetuatementalhealthissues TableofContents StigmasandToxicityPersist asMentalHealthIssuesClimb3 BurnoutandBarrierstoEmpathy FuelMentalHealthIssuesand9 WorkplaceToxicity BridgingtheGap:MentalHealth BenefitsAreHighlyDesiredbut12 SeverelyUnderutilized PuttingEmpathyIntoAction toSupportMentalWellbeing17 2|2024StateofWorkplaceEmpathy|©Businessolver.com,Inc.2024.Allrightsreserved. StigmasandToxicityPersistasMentalHealthIssuesClimb Empathyislackingintoday’sworkplaces,andithasacascadingeffectoncultureandmentalhealth I’veheardothercompaniesactuallyoffermentalhealthdays.IhavetojustsayI’msickifI’mlikefeelingsadorhavingabadweek,becausetakingadayoffformymentalhealthwouldn’tbeavalidexcuseinmyfield. –Healthcareemployeeinterview,2024StateofWorkplaceEmpathy Astaggering55%ofCEOs(+24pointsfrom2023)and50%ofemployeeshaveexperiencedamentalhealthissueinthepastyear,accordingtoourninthannualStateofWorkplaceEmpathyfindingswhichsurveyedover3,100employees,HRprofessionals,andCEOs.GenZself-reportsthehighestmentalhealthissuesat65%. StateofMentalWellbeinginToday’sWorkplace MentalHealthIssues: 55%ofCEOs,50%ofemployees,and45%ofHRprofessionalsexperiencedamentalhealthissueinthepastyear StigmaatWork: 81%ofCEOs,72%ofHR professionals,and67%ofemployeessaycompaniesviewsomeonewithmentalhealthissuesasweakoraburden WorkplaceToxicity: 52%ofCEOs,36%ofHR,and35%ofemployeessaytheirworkplacesaretoxic BarrierstoEmpathy:42%ofemployeessayit’shardforthemtoconsistently demonstrateempathy,and72%ofCEOssaythey’llbechallengedondecisionsiftheyuseempathy Beyondwidespreadmentalhealthissues,dataalsopointstoapervasivementalhealthstigmaamongU.S.workers:CEOs(81%),HR(72%),andemployees(67%)allagreethatcompaniesviewsomeonewithmentalhealthissuesasweakoraburden. Thedeclineinmentalwellbeingisn’tsurprising—thepost-COVIDerahasbeenfraughtwithchallengesfromeveryangleoverthepastfouryears,fromfinancialstrifetosocialandpoliticaltensions.Butthisyear,ourdatabroughtforwardanotherinstigator:Workplacetoxicity. HalfofallCEOs(52%)andoneinthreeemployeesviewtheirworkplacesastoxic.Datalikewiserevealedastrongrelationshipbetweentheperceptionofworkplacetoxicityandmentalhealthissues:Employeeswhosaytheircultureistoxicare47%morelikelytocitementalhealthissuescomparedtothosewhodonotciteatoxicworkplace.ForCEOs,thisisevenhigherat64%. Whilethedataisbleak,italsopointstoasolution:Employersmustbeintentionalaboutextinguishingstigmasandtoxicitywhileputtingparalleleffortintopromotingmentalhealthbenefitsandempathyintheworkplace. Inthisreport,weexplorehowbarrierstoempathyanddeep-seatedstigmasarefeedingworkplacetoxicityandperpetuatingtheongoingmentalhealthstrugglesintoday’sworkplaces. Seethetop-ratedbehaviorsthatdemonstrateempathyin“AGamePlanforPuttingEmpathyIntoAction.” 3|2024StateofWorkplaceEmpathy|©Businessolver.com,Inc.2024.Allrightsreserved. I’vebeenopenaboutmyownmentalhealthexperienceandcanempathizewiththosewhofacetheirownstrugglestoday. Asaleader,mythinkingimmediatelygoestohowdowefixthis?Butmentalhealthisn’tsomethingyou fixforsomeone.Employers,however,doplayavitalroleinprovidingempatheticpathwaystosupportemployeeswhoarestrugglingwiththeirmentalhealth. –RaeShanahan,Businessolver ChiefStrategyOfficer MentalHealthIssuesAreWidespreadintheWorkplaceandBenefitsJustAren’tHelpingLikeTheyShould Ontheheelsofthepandemic,visibilityofmentalhealthissueshasincreasedalongsideinvestmentinmentalhealthbenefits.Infact,accordingtoMercer,94%oflargeemployershaveenhancedtheirmentalhealthcoverage,increasedsupport,orintroducednewprogramsoverthepastthreeyears.Andyet,thestateofmentalwellbeingamongU.S.employeesisn’tgettingbetter—andsomebenefits,suchasemployeeassistanceprograms(EAPs),justdon’tseemtobehavingthedesiredimpact. StartHere:StrategiesforSupportingMentalHealthintheWorkplace Thisyear’sfindingsrevealthatdismantlingstigmasandremovingbarrierstoempatheticbehaviorintheworkplacearecriticaltobothsupportingemployees’mentalwellbeingandcreatingempatheticcultures.Equallyimportantthoughisensuringgreaterawarenessforandaccesstomentalhealthbenefitswhicharesignificantlyunderutilized. Thisyear’sfindingsreveallargegapsinbothawarenessformentalhealthbenefitsandutilizationofthosebenefits—despitethefactthatmentalhealthbenefitsarehighlyvaluedbyemployees.Onaverage,70-pointgapsexistbetweenthebenefitsemployeessayareimportantandthosetheyuse. Jumpto“BridgingtheGap:MentalHealthBenefitsAreHighlyDesiredbutSeverelyUnderutilized” tolearnmoreaboutthisbenefitsgap. Employersplayacrucialroleinofferingcost-effectiveandaccessiblebenefitsandresourcestosupportmentalwellnessintheworkplace.Overthenineyearsofour study,flexibilityhasconsistentlybeenrecognizedasakeyempatheticbenefit,andthisyearflexibleworkinghourswerelikewiseratedasatopmentalhealthbenefit.Evenso,only36%ofemployeescitedaccesstoflexiblehours. Ourdatapointstotheneedforadeepercommitmentfromemployerst