Survey reveals mental health generation gap in our workplaces

by Startacus Admin

Millennials feel most under pressure in the workplace, reveals the UK’s biggest ever stress survey, released yesterday by the Mental Health Foundation, in partnership with Mental Health First Aid England to mark the start of Mental Health Awareness Week (14-20 May).

The UK’s biggest ever stress survey, conducted by YouGov, spoke to 4,619 people to understand the impact of stress on people’s health, relationships and working habits. The findings highlight a significant generational gap around workplace stress.

According to the survey, millennials are feeling the pressure at work.

Over a quarter of millennials (28%) state powering through stress is expected in their organisation’s culture, compared with just 12% of baby boomers. In addition, over a quarter of millennials (27%) often feel bothered by their stress levels during the working week as opposed to just 17% of baby boomers.

There is an increased spotlight on mental health awareness but on average, calculated across both generations, only 14% of people are comfortable speaking to a manager about their stress levels. This is despite a quarter of millennials (25%) saying they compromise their health to do their job, compared with 18% of baby boomers. 

This generational divide is also highlighted through the impact of stress on workforce activity. Over a third of millennials (34%) have been less productive at work due to stress, versus only 19% of baby boomers. 

Richard Grange, a spokesperson for the Mental Health Foundation, said: “The mental health impact of work can follow us home. A good job where we feel secure and supported can boost our mental health. But poor and insecure working conditions undermine good mental health.

“Millennials are more likely to have insecure contracts, low rates of pay and high entry-level workloads. The pressures they face in today’s employment market are very different to past generations.

“A degree, for example, was once considered the key to success. But that is no longer always the case. The more we understand about how experiences of work have changed – the less surprising it is they are experiencing high levels of stress.”

Commenting on the findings, Jaan Madan, Workplace Lead at Mental Health First Aid England, added: 

“Coping with stress in the workplace starts with being able to have a conversation with your manager, and in a mentally healthy organisation everyone should feel comfortable talking about stress. Which is why Mental Health First Aid England has launched the Address Your Stress Toolkit, a free practical resource to help employers and employees identify the sources and signs of stress and take steps to help reduce the impact.” 

Access the Mental Health First England ‘Address your Stress’ toolkit. 

You may also want to read Startacus' previous article on Depression, Mental Health, Entrepreneurship & Startups or our recent feature on this mental health podcast that aims to spotlight startup life realities.

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Published on: 14th May 2018