Almost half the Australian workforce (46%) say their work is suffering as a result of poor mental health, according to the ADP® Research Institute's People at Work 2022: A Global Workforce View.
This rises to over half (56%) of millennial workers (25-34 year olds), compared to less than 2 in 10 (17%) of the 55+ age bracket, the survey of almost 1,400 workers in Australia has found.
People working from home are more likely to feel that poor mental health is having a detrimental impact on their work (55%) than their colleagues in the workplace (36%).
Across the Asia-Pacific region, 56% of workers say mental health issues are taking a toll on their work.
Other studies recently published indicate that in addition to uncertainty and disruption caused by lockdowns, the COVID-19 infection itself can increase the risk of mental health problems developing, and as a result mental health services have been inundated in many countries. According to the charity Mind, a third of adults and young people worldwide say their mental health has gotten much worse since March 2020.
In addition, the frequent stress and burnout that many workers were already feeling, appears to have been exacerbated since the pandemic. Seven in 10 workers across Australia (70%) say they experience stress at work at least once a week, up from 62% pre-pandemic in 2020, and one in seven (27%) feel stressed 4 or more times a week.
The most common cause of stress is having increased responsibility as a result of the pandemic, with 45% of workers citing it as a major cause. Other key sources of stress include the length of the working day (for 29%), problems with technology (27%) and concerns over job security (27%).
Kylie Baullo, Managing Director ANZ at ADP, comments: "It's concerning to see the number of workers, and especially millennial workers, struggling in Australia due to mental health issues. There are ongoing issues around the rising cost of living worldwide, and the demands placed on workers across industries is only rising. There are, however, a range of issues and factors which can lead to mental ill health."
"It is important to note that workers may be struggling whether they are working from home or at the office - in this case, managers should be vigilant to ensure they are offering support no matter the working location."
Most employers across Australia (82%) are being proactive about finding new ways to support the mental health of their workforce. Chief among the initiatives being tried are: checking in or communicating with employees more (33% of workers say their employers are doing so), allowing wellbeing days off (27%), implementing Employee Assistance Programs (23%) and allowing staff to take additional breaks during the day (21%).
Mrs Baullo says, "Unless the causes of poor mental health - whether it be personal or work related, or both - are identified and dealt with, the impact of well-intentioned schemes could be undermined. Employers need to prioritise ways to boost workplace mental wellbeing, and remember that there is no one-size-fits-all approach."
Key Facts:
Frequent stress has increased since the pandemic
Mental health issues are affecting over half of the millennial age group
Increased responsibility without pay cited as the most common cause of stress
About us:
About the research
People at Work 2022: A Global Workforce View explores employees' attitudes towards the current world of work and what they expect and hope for from the workplace of the future.
ADP Research Institute® surveyed 32,924 workers in 17 countries around the world between 1 November and 24 November 2021. This included
• 15,683 in Europe (France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Switzerland and the UK)
• 3,829 in North America (USA and Canada)
• 5,768 in Latin America (Argentina, Brazil and Chile)
• 7,644 in Asia Pacific (Australia, China, India and Singapore)
The survey was conducted online in the local language. Overall results were weighted to represent the size of the working population for each country. Weightings are based on labour force data from the World Bank, which is derived using data from the ILOSTAT database, the central statistics database of the International Labour Organization (ILO), as of 8 February 2022.
About ADP (NASDAQ: ADP)
Designing better ways to work through cutting-edge products, premium services and exceptional experiences that enable people to reach their full potential. HR, Talent, Time Management, Benefits and Payroll. Informed by data and designed for people.
