In the past few years, organizations have shifted their focus to employee mental health more than ever before. So much progress has been made that in 2022, 54% of U.S. employees actively requested and took mental health days off work. 

But one disconnect still lingers—48% of those employees didn’t tell anyone, including their managers, that their PTO was for a mental health-related issue.

Stigma surrounding mental health conversations and cultures of presenteeism are two of the biggest deterrents to mental health progress in the workplace. As of 2023, 52.2 million Americans struggle with at least one mental illness, and more than half (28.1 million) have not received proper treatment.

Securing treatment becomes even more complicated given that 5.5 million Americans are also uninsured, making it difficult to obtain that necessary care.

As Mental Health Awareness Month approaches, now is the perfect time to assess how mental health is addressed in the workplace. Doing so will uncover what accommodations are needed to foster belonging, erase stigma, and bridge the gap between employers and employees.

On the heels of several ongoing global, political, and cultural shifts, workforces are juggling more mental health obstacles than ever before. While workplaces are just beginning to conform to the unique needs of employees, intensive workloads, insufficient coverage, and persistent stigmas often exacerbate the problem.

With today's generational workforces bringing an assortment of diverse and unique needs to the table, concerns about the turmoil of modern life—such as the rising cost of living, climate change, and retirement planning—are paramount. These factors can lead to exhaustion and unrest, ultimately resulting in increased stress levels among employees.

In particular, a significant percentage of Gen Z and millennial employees feel burned out due to the intensity of their workload. According to Deloitte, 46% of Gen Z and 45% of millennial employees cite unmanageable workloads as the top source of burnout. A significant portion also agreed that their employers weren’t taking steps to prevent it.

McKinsey echoes these concerns—while 65% of employers feel that their support for employee mental health is above average, only half of employees agree. That disconnect is even higher between employers and frontline workers, with only 27% of frontline workers feeling content with mental health support at work. 

But according to a recent Gallup study, almost a third of employees took advantage of paid time off for mental health issues when such an option was made available by employers. This shows a desire for dedicated paid time off for self-care purposes and the importance of taking time and space away from work to deal with waves of stress as they arise.

By offering mental health days, employers can send a clear message that employee wellbeing is prioritized just as highly as productivity, which has been proven to increase loyalty and job satisfaction among employees. Reducing the stigma surrounding mental health issues and encouraging employees to prioritize their own mental health needs must be woven into any corporate wellness strategy to effectively bridge the workplace mental health divide.  

According to McKinsey, improving employee engagement, increasing access to mental health treatment, and reducing stigma around mental health are three key ingredients for building a comprehensive wellness strategy. 

So how can employers better position themselves to meet the mental health needs of today’s employees?