“These days there are worker shortages everywhere,” says Chris Swift, CEO of The Hartford, a financial services and insurance company. Mental health is a massive contributor to that, he says.
- “workplace burnout is rising. 44% of workers say they feel fatigued on the job, up from 34% in 2020, per a study conducted by the human resources consulting firm Robert Half.
- “A whopping 52% of U.S. employers say they are “experiencing significant workplace issues” with substance misuse or addiction by employees, according to a new survey from The Hartford. That’s up from 36% in March 2020.
- “31% of U.S. employers say workforce mental health is having a severe or significant financial impact on the company, up from just 20% in March 2020.
“Employers can help by providing resources, like mental health days and online therapy sessions. But middle managers must also play a key role, experts say.
“… Helping workers is not so simple. 72% of U.S. employers say stigmas associated with mental health and addiction are keeping workers from seeking help, per The Hartford’s study. The more we talk about it, the faster the stigma goes away, Swift says.”
Yes, we need to talk about our mental health more often. The Company Chaplain addresses matters that are not clinical mental health issues but can still be sources of distress, such as: worry, discouragement, loneliness, grief, and the pain of relationships that have soured or broken.
We are advocating for employers to provide spiritual care in addition to mental health care, just as the military–the largest organization in many countries–provides chaplains to their people when they are at work.