SHRM: Meeting Mental Health Needs Across Generations
Meeting Mental Health Needs Across Generations
Five distinct generations share today’s workplace, each with different expectations and preferences for mental health support. Older employees from the Silent Generation, Baby Boomers and Generation X typically had fewer demands for mental health support when they entered the workforce. Millennials may be more vocal, while Generation Z lacks experience in asking for mental health-related help.
Research from the think tank Resolution Foundation in the U.K. found younger workers there are more likely to call in sick, often due to mental health lapses that they may not communicate to their employers. More than a third of people ages 18-24 have a “common mental disorder” such as depression or anxiety. Young people are now more likely to be absent from work because of illness than people who are 20 years older, according to the research.
Perhaps due to that higher level of absenteeism, more than a third of young workers are labeling themselves unproductive, though researchers say the true cause of this low productivity may be a breakdown in communications between young workers and their older managers.
“No matter the workplace generation, we all want to be heard and supported,” said Morra Aarons-Mele, author of The Anxious Achiever (Harvard Business Review Press, 2023) and a workplace mental health expert. “We all have to find common ground and ways to communicate with each other around our workplace mental health challenges.”
Why Generational Differences Matter
“A one-size-fits-all approach to supporting mental health cannot accommodate all generations, because everyone is different,” said Sue Haywood, president of HR consultancy HR BluePrints. “Some generations are just starting out in their careers and might be stressed about buying a house. Others might be dealing with new families or considering retirement and dealing with chronic health problems. Some are sandwiched between caring for children and aging parents.”
[SHRM resources: Mental Health]
While many workers are under stress, the particular stressors and supports required to alleviate them can be different depending on a person’s age and work experience. “As Gen Z accelerates into the workplace, they don’t typically have the experience to respond appropriately when negative things happen at work,” said Mark DeFee, a workplace wellness consultant. “If your company loses a major account, younger employees may believe the sky is falling. Older employees have seen it all before and can say, ‘This is just part of the normal business cycle.’ ”
[SHRM Foundation resources: A Field Guide for Mental Health in Your Workplace: From Evaluation to Action]
Being aware of the need to support employees’ mental health isn’t enough, because that awareness may not translate into action. A 2023 Mind Share Partners study found that “while Gen Z is more aware of mental health issues, they don’t always raise concerns with their managers, as Millennials more often do,” said Bernie Wong, knowledge lead and principal at the workplace mental health consultancy.
“Millennials have spent more time in the workforce, so may be more comfortable navigating those potentially risky conversations,” Wong added, “while Gen Z, despite their awareness, has trouble navigating whether they should talk about mental health at work, especially across generations.”