A new study from The Hartford on mental health and the workplace has found employers and employees in parallel conversations regarding how the issue is being addressed.
According to the 2021 Future of Benefits Study, 80% of employers said their company culture has been more accepting of mental health challenges in the past year, but only 59% of workers agree with that assertion.
Seventy-nine percent of employers said they have an open and inclusive environment that encourages a dialogue about mental health, but only 52% of workers share that sentiment.
Furthermore, 77% of employers said leadership at their company encourages conversations about mental health, but only 56% of workers agreed with that assertion.
And 78% of employers said workers have flexibility in their schedule to get the mental health help they need, but only 58% of employees said that flexibility existed.
The study also found 70% of employers acknowledging employee mental health is a significant workplace issue, with 72% reporting that the stigma associated with mental illness prevents workers from seeking help and 52% of employers admitted they are experiencing significant or severe workplace issues due to substance misuse or addiction by their workforce.
“As the U.S. economy is rebuilt, we urge business leaders to continue to prioritize employee mental health ”“ fostering stigma-free company cultures, increasing access to resources, and encouraging early treatment,” The Hartford”™s Chairman and CEO Christopher Swift said.
The study”™s data was culled between Jan. 11 and Feb. 19 and included input from 617 employers and 1,005 employees. The margin of error is employer +/- 4% and employee +/-3% at a 95% confidence level.
