The coronavirus pandemic has impacted the professional and personal lives of millions of U.S. employees, causing a significant portion to seek help for their mental health. According to a new report from MetLife’s 18th annual U.S. Employee Benefits Trends Study, Gen Z employees were three times more likely than all other employees to have sought professional help for stress, burnout or other mental health reasons since the beginning of the pandemic.
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“Supporting employees’ mental well-being is integral to building a resilient workforce”
Contributing to workers’ mental health concerns is virtual fatigue, with work and personal lives often reduced to screen-to-screen interactions each day. Nearly four in 10 workers say reduced in-person interaction with friends, family and co-workers has negatively affected their mental health, and more than half of millennials (56 percent) feel this way. Additionally, 34 percent of employees say not being able to connect with co-workers in person as much as they used to is a top source of stress and anxiety – disproportionally impacting Gen Z, with almost half (47 percent) saying they feel the same way.
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“Employees have faced unprecedented challenges in their professional and personal lives, which can directly impact one’s mental health and total well-being,” said Susan Podlogar, executive vice president and chief human resources officer, MetLife. “While these issues are magnified in this time of crisis, there are long-term lessons to be learned when it comes to addressing the mental health of today’s workforce. Organizations can help accelerate breaking down barriers to access and reduce stigmas of seeking help and provide programs and benefits to support overall well-being with an emphasis on mental health. Proactively addressing these actions contributes to building employee resiliency and, ultimately, strengthens our ability to benefit our customers and all stakeholders we have the privilege to serve.”
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