Mind the Workplace: Work Health Survey 2019

Abstract

Mental Health America’s Mind the Workplace 2019 report explores the relationships between supervisor communication styles, company culture of open and safe communication, and employee engagement and wellbeing. • What matters more in creating safe spaces for disclosure – having supervisors who create safe spaces or creating a company culture of safe and open communication? • How does a supervisors’ communication style or a company’s culture of open communication foster motivation, engagement, and mental healthy workplaces? • If a person does not feel safe to speak out on personal concerns or ethical violations, how much does that contribute to their engagement and wellbeing?

FINDINGS • Supervisor communication and a company culture of safe and open communication are correlated with an employee’s motivation, confidence, and pride. • Supervisor communication is correlated with safety in reporting ethical violations and areas for improvement in the workplace. • Feeling comfortable to report dishonest or unfair practices was most correlated with pride (whether you would recommend your workplace to others). • Among all employee wellbeing measures, pride was the most correlated with supervisor communication and a company culture of safe and open communication. • People who are the most stressed also reported they were in companies where it was safer to remain silent about their personal problems.

Employee Engagement and Wellbeing • Fifty-eight percent of people reported that they were unmotivated at work. Of those, twenty-four percent were strongly unmotivated. • Sixty-six percent reported that workplace issues negatively affect their sleep, and half of respondents engage in unhealthy behaviors to cope with workplace stress. • Over half of respondents would not recommend their workplace to others, and 1 in 5 were strongly against it. • Nearly half (45 percent) look for a new job at least several times per week.

Supervisor Communication and Support • Sixty-one percent of respondents disagreed that their supervisors check in on their workplace needs. • Only half reported they receive enough guidance to perform their jobs well. • Fifty-three percent reported their supervisor remains objective when dealing with workplace conflict. • Whether a supervisor valued feedback on workplace culture was most correlated with the health of the organization.

Organizational Culture • Fifty-four percent of people reported they were not comfortable reporting dishonest or unfair practices to human resources or management. • Sixty percent reported it was safer to remain silent about things that need improvement, and sixty-nine percent reported it was safer to remain silent about their workplace stress. • Over half (55 percent) reported they were afraid to take a day off to attend to their mental health.