Working Parents – Particularly Working Mothers – and Gen Z Workforce Are Among the Hardest Hit, with 53% of Parents Reporting Burnout and 42% of Youngest Employees Considering Quitting in the Next Six Months

Second Annual ‘Employee Stress Check’ Report by Talkspace for Business and The Harris Poll Finds That Even Though Pandemic Restrictions Have Eased, Approximately Half of American Workers are Still Experiencing Burnout

Talkspace, a leading online behavioral health care company, today released its second annual “Employee Stress Check Report 2022”, a nationwide survey by Talkspace for Business conducted with The Harris Poll, that explores American employees’ wellbeing in the workplace. The survey of nearly 1,400 full-time employees found that in the third year of the pandemic, around half of workers report continuing to feel burned out (51%) and stressed (46%) at work, and that despite record levels of resignations in recent months, over a third of workers (34%) are still considering quitting (vs. 41% in 2021). The majority of those citing continued burnout (59%) say it has gotten worse since last year.

While the stresses experienced during the pandemic have persisted, these new findings indicate that employers can retain employees by signaling that mental health is prioritized in their workplaces – 57% of all workers would be likely to stay at a job if it offered more mental health services, and even more so amongst those considering quitting (66%).

Leadership can make a difference through the organization, as employees who say their managers take steps to protect their mental health are significantly more likely to find their work fulfilling (86%) and less likely to feel stressed or burned out by work (41%).

Working parents in particular are more impacted when it comes to workplace mental health, with 53% experiencing burnout and 42% considering quitting, significantly higher than all workers (34%). Balancing work and family responsibilities is difficult for 60% of all working parents, and 44% of parents report missing more than one full day of work since the start of the year due to parenting responsibilities. The impact of work stress is particularly acute among working mothers, as nearly 6-in-10 (58%) mothers say trying to balance work and family responsibilities has caused them stress or burnout, and more than half report feeling less productive, versus 50% of working dads. Compared to working fathers, working mothers were more likely to have found it difficult to be a working parent during the past two years, and less likely to believe balancing work and parenting would get easier next year.

The youngest end of the workforce (Gen Z and younger Millennials), aged 18-34, are significantly more likely, compared to the rest of the workforce, to feel burned out (59%, compared to 51% for all workers) and to consider quitting their job in the next six months (42%, compared to 34% for all workers). Gen Z workers in particular reported alarming levels of burnout (73%).

Other notable findings from the survey include:

• Around 1-in-2 workers are burned out (51%) or find work too stressful (46%) – levels largely unchanged since July 2021 (52% and 50%, respectively)
• The majority of those feeling burned out or stressed say it has gotten worse over the last year (59% and 53%, respectively). Stress and burnout rank just below inadequate pay among the most common worker complaints.
• 32% of workers are likely to consider quitting their job in the next six months – among those, 59% are more likely to quit compared to last year.
• Those most at-risk for quitting include working parents (42%), younger workers (42%) and service-oriented workers (42%) – those working in retail, education, hospitality and healthcare.
• Service-oriented workers also reported the highest levels of day-to-day stress (56% vs. 46% of all workers).
• Fewer than 1-in-3 U.S. workers (29%) rate their mental health as “excellent,” lower than the 21-year record low (34%) among the general public seen in Gallup polling.
• Mental health services are critical to worker retention: 57% of those considering quitting, as well as 70% of young workers and 68% of parents, say they are likely to stay in their current position if they received more mental health services.
• Good leadership from management matters: employees who have managers who talk about mental health are significantly more likely to find their work fulfilling (86%) and less likely to feel stressed or burned out by work (41%).
• While nearly 3-in-4 (74%) of workers say more paid time off, like mental health days, would make them consider staying at their jobs, fewer than 2-in-5 workers get and use most of their PTO.

“For the second straight year, we’re seeing Americans are under extraordinary stress at work and looking for additional support from employers and specifically, managers,” said Dr. Varun Choudhary, MD, MA, DFAPA, Chief Medical Officer of Talkspace. “These findings crystalize what we’ve long known to be true: successful organizations and employee wellness are inextricably linked. Employers must take notice and make meaningful investments in their employees’ long-term wellbeing – their workplaces depend on it.”

Last month, Talkspace launched Talkspace Self-Guided, a new product suite to help employers build emotional intelligence (with managers in mind) and foster overall mental well-being, especially to support working parents in and out of the workplace.

The new report builds on findings from the first-ever ‘Employee Stress Check’ Report released in 2021 which chronicled how chronic stress at work gave rise to the Great Resignation. This most recent poll was fielded during March and April 2022 and surveyed 1,400 full-time employees aged 18+ in the U.S., with an oversampling of nearly 800 working parents. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables and subgroup sample sizes, please contact Talkspace@skdknick.com.

To learn more about the findings of the report, including actionable insights for employers, read the Employee Stress Check Report 2022 from Talkspace for Business.

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