Achieving A Work-Life Balance: Young Workers Opt For Pay Cut To Improve Mental Health

Achieving A Work-Life Balance: Young Workers Opt For Pay Cut To Improve Mental Health

In light of Mental Health Awareness Month, the Society of Human Resource Management has conducted new research to highlight current mental health challenges in the workplace. The report, titled SHRM 2025 Insights: Workplace Mental Health, surveyed 1,193 US workers and 2,076 HR professionals in February 2025, as well as 16,000 workers across 16 countries from February to June 2024. The report found that approximately one-third (31%) of US workers said that their job causes high levels of stress. Young employees (18- to 34-year-olds) were most affected, with 37% suggesting that they would rather take a pay cut to receive better mental health support at work. The main drivers behind workplace stress were increased workloads (47%), lack of pay/compensation (42%) and poor leadership (40%).

Troublingly, the report found that instead of solving the root cause of the stress-related issues, organizations were more focused on reacting to them. This is a common trend witnessed across EHS functions, where there is a stronger emphasis on reacting to issues rather than implementing measures that can prevent them from occurring in the first place. Results from the survey indicate that only 25% of firms prioritize preventing mental health issues, while 38% focus on reacting.

EHS functions have sought to combat mental health issues with total worker health. Developed in 2003, a total worker health programme adopts a holistic approach to ensure worker safety, by integrating health initiatives with safety measures. Specifically, total worker health is focused on creating a work environment that not only protects workers from physical hazards but also promotes overall wellbeing. This includes considering how workload and stress can impact mental health. Poor wellbeing can hinder performance, leading to mistakes that exacerbate issues or cause incidents. Identifying wellbeing concerns early could prevent these incidents from occurring in the future.

Employee fulfilment was cited as a key factor that could help improve workers’ mental health. This can be achieved through implementing a strong support network of senior leaders that helps increase safety engagement, ensuring individuals receive recognition and appreciation for their work and understand the impact it has on the wider organization. EHS software can also play a role here, establishing a channel for senior leaders to analyse the mental health status of frontline workers through mobile apps. EHS software vendor Cority, for example, launched a strategic partnership with Highmark Interactive, leveraging its EQ At Work solution, which provides users with access to gamified neurological assessment tools to assess both cognitive fitness and emotional resilience. Users are then directed towards online training and health resources based on the results from these tests. This helps to provide targeted interventions based on each user’s specific needs.

As mental health considerations continue to grow, employers will face greater responsibility to monitor worker wellbeing. To read more about how EHS technologies can help firms manage mental health, head to the Verdantix research portal.