LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The SHRM Annual Conference & Expo 2023 (SHRM23) is here! And in honor of SHRM23’s theme, “Drive Change,” SHRM and the SHRM Foundation are leading the workplace mental health discussion, specifically by exploring what employers can do to support employee well-being both inside and outside of work. SHRM released its 2023 State of Mental Health & Well-Being in the Workplace report last month. Its findings show how businesses and employees both benefit from instituting an environment where mental health is a priority. Additionally, a SHRM23 panel today, “Stigma No More: Protecting and Advancing Mental Health,” will discuss how to design work environments that protect, support and advance mental health to ensure employees are thriving, engaged and committed. Providing robust mental health benefits is one-way employers can help drive change and results in their workplaces.
SHRM Research collected data from a sample size of 1,000 U.S. workers between March 15 and 28, 2023, to examine the advantages of cultivating a workplace that prioritizes and supports mental health. The results, released in May 2023, show there is demand for mental health support in the workplace, with nearly half of U.S. employees (45 percent) reporting higher expectations for the level of organization-provided mental health support compared with last year. The expectations are also turning to movement, with more than 2 in 5 U.S. employees (41 percent) saying they are willing to leave their job for a workplace that prioritizes mental health.
Additionally, the results show that organizations that effectively invest in mental health experience significant benefits along with their employees. More than 8 in 10 U.S. employees (84 percent) who say their job has had a positive impact on their mental health over the past six months are more likely to be deeply committed to their organization, compared with those who say their job has had no impact (64 percent) or a negative impact (27 percent) on their mental health.
“It is clear that the need to establish mental health as a top priority within our organizations is essential,” said Wendi Safstrom, president of the SHRM Foundation. “We must act now if we wish to create a world of work that allows both employers and employees to thrive and lead healthy, productive organizations.”
Further key findings include:
- Nearly half of U.S. employees (49 percent) who say their job has had a negative impact on their mental health over the past six months are more likely to be actively searching for a job, compared with those who say their job has had no impact (23 percent) or a positive impact (14 percent).
- More than 3 in 5 U.S. employees (63 percent) say having access to better mental health resources at work would help improve their mental health.
- More than 3 in 4 U.S. employees (77 percent) believe organizations are responsible for reducing mental health disparities.
The SHRM Foundation has a campaign to raise awareness of the need for mental health support in the workplace and offers multiple resources on this issue. From its Workplace Mental Health Ally Certificate to its recently released the Mental Health in Your Workplace Field Guide, the SHRM Foundation has built a movement to prioritize workplace mental health and promote mental health dialogue and benefits in the workplace. For more information about what SHRM is doing to support mental health in the workplace, please visit www.workplacementalhealth.shrm.org. And if you’re attending SHRM23 in person, check out the “Stigma No More” panel today at 3 p.m. - 4 p.m. Pacific Time in Room N257.
Methodology
A sample of 1,000 U.S. workers was surveyed using a third-party online panel. The sample was representative of the U.S. population. The survey was administered between March 15, 2023, and March 28, 2023. For the purposes of this study, we refer to U.S. workers as those who are working full-time or part-time in the United States and we refer to U.S. employees as those working full-time or part-time for an organization in the United States.
About the SHRM Foundation
Founded in 1966, the SHRM Foundation is the 501(c)(3) philanthropic arm of the world’s largest HR professional society, SHRM. SHRM represents nearly 325,000 HR professionals across the globe, impacting 235 million workers and their families. The SHRM Foundation mobilizes and equips HR to lead positive social change so that all talent and workplaces can prosper and thrive. Its robust resources, meaningful partnerships and evidence-based programming educate and empower HR professionals to hire diverse talent, build inclusive workplaces, prioritize workplace mental health and wellness, develop and support the next generation of HR professionals, and help employees find purpose at work and beyond. Learn more at shrmfoundation.org.
