New data shows that half of employee disabilities are related to mental health, a finding that highlights the prevalence of mental health conditions in the workplace and the importance of benefits and supports to help.
According to the latest data from Mercer and Global Disability Inclusion, a St. Augustine, Florida-based human resources consulting firm that specializes in disability employment and inclusion, people with disabilities make up about 7 percent of the workforce, and 51 percent of people with disabilities cite a mental illness, such as depression or anxiety, as their primary disability.
According to the report, mental illnesses make up the vast majority of employee disabilities, followed by cognitive and learning disabilities such as dyslexia and autism (16%), neurological disabilities such as multiple sclerosis and cerebral palsy (11%), physical and motor disabilities (9%), visual impairments (7%) and hearing impairments (7%).
Data was collected from over 5 million employees.
The report also found that only 1% of employees report having a visible disability (one that is easily identifiable by an outside observer), while the remaining 6% report having an invisible disability.
The study is the latest to show the prevalence of mental health illness in the workplace and provides evidence that employers could benefit from offering a range of support and benefits, including employee assistance programs, app-based support and one-to-one tutoring.
Peter Rutigliano, partner and behavioral health practice leader at MercerWell, said Mercer research shows that “employees with disabilities still consistently have lower engagement levels” compared to their non-disabled colleagues. [are] They are less likely to feel treated fairly in the workplace, [have] It makes you feel less connected to the organization.”
Rutigliano said that poses a real business risk because “often these employees will report that they are no longer proud of their current employer and will no longer want to recommend or stay.”
We’ve rounded up additional articles about the state of mental health in the workplace from SHRM Online.
The number of people suffering from depression is increasing sharply among women and young employees.
Depression is no longer one of the leading mental health issues in the workplace, but a new analysis shows that depression is rising sharply among women and younger workers, with 38% of depression cases in the past two years occurring among workers aged 20-29, and 60% of cases occurring among women of all ages.
The finding comes from mental health services provider ComPsych, which analyzed more than 80,000 cases of depression from its U.S. client list in 2022 and 2023.
According to ComPsych, depression is now the fifth most common problem among American workers, while anxiety disorders have soared to the No. 1 problem nationwide.
(SHRM Online)
Are organisations just paying lip service to mental health benefits and not practicing?
Despite increased awareness, progressive policies such as mental health days, and access to counselling services, the stigma associated with experiencing mental health issues remains, and toxic workplaces can prevent employees from talking about their suffering or seeking help.
There also appears to be a gap between the mental health resources companies offer and the comfort employees feel when accessing these benefits. Employees often face barriers that prevent them from taking advantage of available resources, including feelings of anxiety, difficulty taking time off, and an overall lack of awareness of what is on offer.
But there are actions organizations can take to turn things around, experts say.
(SHRM Online)
The workplace often harms employees’ mental health
Nearly one in three employees say they frequently feel stressed at work, according to a new SHRM survey.
The data showed that of the 1,405 employees surveyed, 30% said they often feel stressed at work, 26% said they often feel “overwhelmed” by their job, and 22% said they often feel disengaged from their work.
“Negative emotions are more salient than positive emotions, and they’re much harder for employees to let go of,” said Daroon Jalil, a senior research fellow at SHRM who led the mental health research initiative. “When employees experience these negative emotions, and they experience them frequently, that’s a real concern, but it can lead to long-term negative consequences for employees and organizations.”
The survey also found that more than one in three employees (35%) say their work has a negative impact on their mental health, while a similar number (34%) say their work has a positive impact on their mental health.
(SHRM Online)
Mental health-related absenteeism to increase by 33% by 2023
ComPsych recently reported that mental health-related absences in the workplace are on the rise, expected to increase 33% in 2023 over 2022.
Employee absences due to mental health issues are set to increase by 300% from 2017 to 2023. According to ComPsych, absences can last anywhere from a few days to a few weeks.
Female employees and younger workers in particular are driving the surge: in 2023, 69% of mental health-related leave taken by women were taken by women. Of these, 33% were from millennial women, followed by Gen X women who made up 30% of mental health-related leave taken.
(SHRM Online)