Employers are not doing enough for mental health, say young professionals. And half of them agree to be spied on by their boss so that he can ensure that working hours are respected.
The majority of young professionals, 60%, feel tired and exhausted every week while 44% are anxious and depressed, reveals a new survey conducted by Léger for the Regroupement des Jeunes Chambres de Commerce du Québec (RJCCQ) .
Women are the most affected, which leads the RJCCQ to say that employers would benefit from having a personalized approach in the management of their human resources.
The RJCCQ has been surveying young professionals every six months for two and a half years to create a dialogue between employers and employees.
And even if employers provide the same measures as last March, this new survey reveals that it is no longer enough.
“What stands out most strongly in this survey is the extent to which employees harshly judge employers in everything related to mental health,” observes Pierre Graff, CEO of the RJCCQ, in an interview with La Presse.
Mental health is taking up more and more space in discussions, which is good news. However, the issue is no longer linked to the years of pandemic, but becomes structural, analyzes the CEO.
“What is surprising,” continues Mr. Graff, “is that the majority of those who have access to help (89%) say that the simple measures employers have put in place help them overcome their personal challenges . We see that it doesn’t take much. »
These measures include additional leave, employee assistance programs (EAP) and anxiety training offers.
“Clearly, there is a desire on the part of employers to adapt. On the other hand, there are statistics which show that employers are not paying attention. »
While 69% of young professionals say it is fairly easy to balance work and personal life, looking more closely at the results reveals that young families are struggling to do so. Statistics also indicate that this conciliation is difficult for those who have to go to the office more than two days a week.
“Young professionals are very comfortable with the hybrid return, but for the additional return to the office, those who work 3.6 days per week on average experience more significant challenges in terms of work-life balance , anxiety and mental health, compared to those who do 1 to 2 per week,” says Pierre Graff, of the RJCCQ.
Young professionals are divided over the boundaries between personal and professional lives, particularly when it comes to advancing their careers. Curiously, many (56%) say they are ready to agree to be monitored by the employer to check that they respect the number of working hours.
Additionally, according to 42% of respondents, managers should also be able to communicate with their employees outside of work hours in the event of an emergency.
“Conciliation is becoming more and more important among young professionals and they want there to be a clear demarcation between work and private life. They prefer that there be a certain transparency in the way in which the work is evaluated to be sure that it is not exceeded,” maintains Pierre Graff.
