Roughly 40 per cent of generation Z employees say they’re at a mental-health “breaking point,” according to a new survey by Boston Consulting Group.
The survey, which polled more than 1,300 young Canadian employees, found twice as many millennials and gen Z workers said they want a workplace culture that prioritizes mental health and well-being, compared to baby boomers.
It also found 50 per cent of young respondents reported needing help for an emotional or mental-health problem in 2022. A fifth (20 per cent) of new employees said transitioning into the workforce had a negative effect on their mental well-being.
Read: Only half of U.S. gen Z workers say employer cares about their mental health: survey
The main reasons cited for young workers’ mental-health issues were the coronavirus pandemic, a lack of attention with helping new recruits forge meaningful connections when they begin a job and regressive perceptions about gen Z, such as a need to be coddled and a lack of ambition.
The survey also cited a University of Oxford study, which found companies that take measures to support employee well-being have seen their productivity improve by an average of 13 per cent. It noted a 13 per cent bump in productivity rates would have a significant impact on Canada’s economic growth, lifting gross domestic product from $108,000 per employee to $122,000 and increasing average profit per employee from $21,000 to $24,000.
Read: 71% of Canadian employees say mental health impacted their ability to work in the past year: survey