More than any other decade, the 2020s began with a focus on addressing the global crisis of declining mental health and its impact not only on our personal lives but also on the economy. Employee well-being has risen to prominence as employers realize its potential for high return on investment. Improved employee mental health leading to greater productivity has motivated more businesses to join the rallying cry. However, the focus on productivity alone could create even more mental health issues.
Research from Bain & Company showed that today’s tech-enabled work culture with its emphasis on productivity leads to high burnout. In an era of growing corporate social responsibility, perhaps it’s not naïve to expect more leaders to want to improve the mental health of their employees for reasons that go beyond the bottom line.
