Managers impact employees’ mental health as much as their partners: UKG report

• Managers have even more of an impact on employees’ mental health than their doctor or therapist.
  
• About 81% of employees would prioritise good mental health over a high-paying job, with 64% of employees admitting they would take a pay cut for a job that better supports their mental wellness.
  
• GenZs are the most inclined to trade a high-paying job for mental health, while boomers are the least inclined.
  
• One in 5 employees worldwide (20%) say their job impacts their mental health in a negative way, but women seem to have it worse (23% vs. 16% of men).

Managers have just as much of an impact on people’s mental health as their partners — and have even more of an impact than their doctor or therapist, according to a report by human capital management solutions provider Ultimate Kronos Group (UKG).

Apart from bosses, varying perspectives on mental health support, lack of communication, and the pressure to lead are some of the reasons for mental health problems at work, according to the report titled Mental Health at Work: Managers and Money. Moreover, the continuing global crises have also impacted people’s mental health negatively.

“The chronic anxiety that comes from working through one global crisis after another is wearing on employees. Being overwhelmed consumes human energy and impacts retention, performance, innovation, and culture,” said Dr Jarik Conrad, executive director of The Workforce Institute at UKG.

The Workforce Institute at UKG surveyed 3,400 people across 10 countries to spotlight the critical role that jobs, leadership, and managers play in supporting mental health in and outside of work.

High-paying job vs mental health support

One in 5 employees worldwide (20%) say their job impacts their mental health in a negative way, but women seem to have it worse (23% vs. 16% of men). Middle managers–responsible for both, handling employees and driving results–have the “hardest job”, states the report.

About 46% of managers and 40% of C-suite said they’re likely to quit in the next 12 months due to work-related stress. However, for C-level leaders the pressure is self-inflicted – 42% of the C-suite said the pressure they put on themselves is the greatest source of work stress.

For most employees though, even those minting money, the paycheck is not worth the stress. 81% of employees worldwide would prioritise good mental health over a high-paying job, and 64% admit they would take a pay cut for a job that better supports their mental wellness, states the report.

GenZs (70%) are the most inclined to trade a high-paying job for mental health, and boomers (46%) are the least inclined - which could also correlate to the position they occupy in a company. Gen Z is the generation born between 1997-2013, while boomers fall between 1946-64.

Suffering in silence

There’s a clear difference in perception among different levels of employees regarding mental health support at the workplace. While 91% of C-level executives believe their human resources (HR) department is a good resource for mental health support, only 64% of workers agree, states the report.

Fewer still (54%) have actually used these resources. In fact, 7 in 10 employees would like their company and managers to do more. Simply put, just because a resource exists does not mean employees will use it - especially when it comes to seeking support for mental health.

Lack of proper communication also leads to mental health issues - 38% of employees say they’ve “rarely” or “never” talked with their manager about workload being a problem. Because either their “manager wouldn’t care” (16%) or “their manager is too busy” (13%) to offer help. 20% also believe they “should be able to figure it out” on their own.

“Companies also need to focus on building the emotional intelligence of their leaders at all levels of the organisations. Competencies such as stress management, impulse control, and empathy — more so than technical skills — will help the great managers emerge and better support their teams,” states the report.

As the report puts it, “many people are suffering in silence”. And it’s on the leaders to make mental health a topic of discussion within their teams.

“The day-to-day stressors we live with — especially those caused by work — are what we should talk more about as leaders. Life isn’t all milk and honey, and when leaders open up about their own struggles, they acknowledge employees are not alone, and that it’s OK not to be OK,” said Pat Wadors, chief people officer at UKG.

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