The Great Resignation has reshaped much of the job industry, with workers leaving jobs for a variety of reasons. And a new report shows that one of four people who quit their job over the last two years said that their mental health was the major reason for leaving.
JobSage, a career guidance service, surveyed more than 2,000 Americans who left their jobs and found that 28 percent said protecting their mental health was their major reason. Another statistic showed that two in five Americans considered quitting for the sake of their mental health.
Mental health covers a wide range of emotions, but stress and depression were the two biggest contributing factors. Fifty-five percent of workers experienced a “significant increase in stress” over the last year, while 38 percent cited symptoms of depression. A similar number of people cited a lack of motivation (37%), anxiety (36%) and feelings of anger (31%) as the major contributing factor to this job change.
Of those polled, the three biggest reasons workers’ mental health is being impacted is because they are feeling overworked (37%), lack good work-life balance (33%) and are being underpaid (31%).
As employers are shifting their workplaces to better help and accommodate their teams, employees are pushing for a bigger emphasis on healthy work-life balance. According to JobSage, nearly half of those polled want their employers to commit to providing and prioritizing a healthier work-life balance, while another 42% want more time off and 41% are looking for more flexibility.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Great Resignation has no signs of slowing down. As employees continue to make decisions to protect their mental health, employers will need to be ready and willing to meet those needs.
