One-third of Americans rate health, well-being benefits second only to compensation when choosing a job

LifeWorks Mental Health Index™ finds flexibility is more important to choosing an employer than either the type of work or a positive workplace culture

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--LifeWorks, a leading provider of digital and in-person total well-being solutions supported by TELUS Health, today released its monthly Mental Health Index™ reporting that benefits and flexibility are key factors when choosing a workplace.

The Index found that the mental health of U.S. workers remains significantly strained.

• The Mental Health Index™ score for October 2022 is 69.9 points out of 100, a modest decrease from September’s score of 70.2, but ahead of the October 2021 score of 69.0.
• Full-time, post-secondary students have the lowest mental health scores for the fifth consecutive month.
• With a 1.1-point decrease, the financial risk sub-score showed the greatest decline from September, though none of the measured sub-scores were improved.

After pay, benefits and flexibility are the largest factors in choosing an employer

• 33 percent say that benefits and services offered for health and wellbeing is the most important factor when choosing an employer
• 29 percent prioritize flexibility as the most important factor
• 21 percent consider the type of work most important
• 12 percent would choose employers with a reputation of a positive workplace culture

Employees who feel the need to prioritize flexibility have a lower mental health score than those who choose other key decision factors, while workers who focus on the type of work score the highest.

Manager leadership traits significantly impact employee mental health

• Employees who rate their manager as strong in five key areas (autonomy, charisma, humanity, participative, team-oriented) have better mental health than those rating their manager poorly.
• Employees who care about their work (87 percent) and who try to exceed expectations (82 percent) both score two points higher than the national average. Almost all those who work for autonomous, charismatic leaders fall into this category.
• Americans who rate their manager poorly in each of the five categories have 2.5 times lower productivity than those rating their manager more favorably.

Comments from TELUS Health Chief Operating Officer, Michael Dingle

“Health benefits–and particularly mental health benefits–have moved center stage and have a tangible impact on employees, their families and where they want to work. With the Mental Health Index, business leaders can see that benefits and other key employment priorities, like flexibility and quality leadership, correlate directly to worker effort, productivity and mental health.”

Comments from LifeWorks global leader and Senior Vice President, research and total well-being, Paula Allen

“Although pandemic-related restrictions have essentially ended, the mental health scores show persistent feelings of anxiety and isolation among American workers. At the same time, they face new stressors of inflation and the risk of recession, all negatively impacting overall mental health. In this environment, we clearly see the influence of workplace leaders on mental health.”

The full United States LifeWorks Mental Health Index™ report can be found here. This month, the report includes additional insights on work preferences, preference between salary increases and better well-being support, frequency of working while unwell and more.

LifeWorks is a wholly owned subsidiary of TELUS now operating as part of TELUS Health as a result of its recent acquisition.

About the Mental Health Index^™

The monthly survey by LifeWorks was conducted through an online survey from 5,000 respondents in the United States. All respondents reside in the United States and were employed within the last six months. The data has been statistically weighted to ensure the regional, age and gender composition of the sample reflect this population. The Mental Health Index™ is published monthly, beginning April 2020. Benchmark data was collected in 2017, 2018, 2019.

The Mental Health Index^™, is based on a response scoring system that then turns individual responses into point values. Higher point values are associated with better mental health and less mental health risk. Scores between 0 to 49 correspond with distress levels, scores between 50 to 79 correspond with strain levels and scores between 80 to 100 correspond with optimal levels of mental health.

About TELUS Health

TELUS Health is a global healthcare company serving people in more than 160 countries delivering both digital innovation and clinical services to improve total physical, mental and financial health and wellness across the full spectrum of primary and preventative care. By leveraging the power of technology to deliver connected solutions and services both in-person and virtually, TELUS Health is improving access to care and revolutionizing the flow of information while facilitating collaboration, efficiency, and productivity for physicians, pharmacists, health authorities, allied healthcare professionals, insurers, employers and people globally, progressing its vision of transforming healthcare and empowering people to live healthier lives.

Our clinical team is composed of renowned and passionate health professionals around the world delivering best-in-class people-centric care to hundreds of thousands of employers, professionals and their families.

For more information, please visit: www.telushealth.com.

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