Burnout is on the rise, with 49% of people suffering from mental health, stress and unhappiness, suggests a study compiled by Sarah Rice, a chief people officer at Skynamo.
She suggests that managers should educate themselves about mental health in the workplace.
With October being the mental health awareness month, Rice put together a report on the effects of mentally unhealthy employees who find themselves in mentally draining working environments.
The study reveals that 42% of adults globally have mental health challenges, 41% are stressed while 28% are experiencing unhappiness symptoms in the workplace. The study adds that hybrid working is adding to people’s stress by increasing a sense of isolation.
“Older managers who are managing millennials have a different generational understanding of how to deal with mental health issues,” according to Rice.
“As mental health challenges increasingly show up in the workplace, productivity decreases and poor quality of work and absenteeism increases, even high staff turnover. Companies are expected to deal with it to a far greater extent.
“This raises a number of important questions like what does the business do about employees’ mental health, how much responsibility does the business assume, and who within the business is responsible?”
She says businesses need to ensure they do not treat employees like infants, but rather empower them, because an attitude of empowerment also lets managers off the hook.
As more of the millennial generation move into leadership roles, we also might see a shift in sensitivity toward the mental health conversation.
“Modern managers need to be skilled in coaching, facilitation and empathy if they are to be able to give their teams what they need to succeed.”
Rice also notes that most working environments are fast-paced and therefore fast-paced solutions are needed.
“With inflation rising, the risk of a recession looming, fuel price fluctuations and loadshedding becoming an at least twice daily occurrence, employees’ stress is understandably at an all-time high – even more so than in 2020 [during the peak of Covid-19].
“People’s psychological safety gives them room to be creative and innovative, leaders need to clarify the role that the business takes in its employees’ mental health and wellness journey, and then communicate it so that everyone knows what to expect.”
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