From Workplace Strain to Support, Research Shows Employees Need Resources to Address their Mental Health

Breaking the Cycle of Exhaustion: Supporting Workplace Recovery and Mental Health

Have you ever been so exhausted after work that you didn’t want to engage in anything? If so, you have SHRM Research behind you; Forty-seven percent of U.S. workers reported feeling that by the end of the workday, they had little energy to participate in non-work activities, 33% find it difficult to unwind and relax after work and 25% deliberately avoid tasks after work. These findings point to the prevalence of workplace exhaustion and its impact on workers’ ability to participate in activities outside of work. It also underscores the importance of employers in mitigating the negative effects of work-related exhaustion.

The research also suggests that women and younger employees are at a higher risk. 51% of women report that they have little energy to participate in non-work activities compared to 42% of men. 49% of Gen Z, 48% of Millennial. and 35% of Gen X workers say they miss out on non-work activities because they are too exhausted from work as compared to 24% of Baby Boomers and Traditionalists.

How to Support Employee Mental Health and Recovery from Work

In a world where work-related pressures surround us, it’s important to understand how organizations can support their employees and help them stay mentally healthy. SHRM Research shows that 58% of U.S. workers say paid mental health days (beyond sick days) would best support their mental health.

Some U.S. employees (35%) suggest that employers provide mental health coverage as a part of their employee health plan or provide free or subsidized virtual mental health services to best support their mental health. Other resources that are beneficial to employee mental health and wellness can range

from yoga/mindfulness classes (26%), mental health apps (21%) and/or mandatory mental health training for employees (16%) or for managers (16%).

But just like mental health and wellness is different for everyone, so are its solutions.

Let SHRM Help you Regain Employee Energy

Download SHRM Foundation’s Field Guide, Mental Health in Your Workplace: From Evaluation to Action. Now, HR professionals of all industries and organization sizes have a tool to help create a mental health strategy for your workplace that leads to meaningful results for your employees.

The fight for mental wellbeing in the workplace is more critical than ever. As you design and launch your workplace mental health strategies, we hope our Field Guide is a powerful tool on your journey.

Become a Workplace Mental Health Champion

Ready to take the next step? Become a Workplace Mental Health Ally with our certificate program. Designed by PsychHub in partnership with SHRM and the SHRM Foundation, this certificate program provides step-by-step instructions to help individuals identify critical workplace mental health topics and learn appropriate approaches to help. For SHRM members, this program is only $99 and for non-members it is priced at $150. Earn your certificate today.