New Report: 67% of Employees Who Are Ready to Resign Think Employers Have Not Fulfilled Pandemic Promises Around Mental Health and Well-Being

‘Employee Stress Check 2021’ Report By Talkspace for Business and The Harris Poll Finds More than 40% of American Employees are Likely to Change Jobs to Resolve Stress; One in Four Believe Their Physical Health Has Suffered

Nearly 60% of Employees Believe that Supportive Management, Strong Social Office Culture, Mentorship, and More Mental Health Services Can Improve Retention

Talkspace (NASDAQ: TALK), a leading online behavioral healthcare company, today released the ‘Employee Stress Check 2021 Report,’ a nationwide survey by Talkspace for Business with The Harris Poll that explores current employee attitudes toward mental well-being and work. The survey of more than 1,000 full-time employees in the United States found that while many have spoken about a great resignation, there is a period of “great reflection” that comes first, one in which chronic stress finally triggers an employee to seek immediate resolution. Talkspace for Business sought to understand the experiences that lead to resignation and what employees and therapists think companies should be doing to better tackle stress. The report details key stress drivers, the impacts of chronic stress, demographic comparisons, and helpful interventions cited by employees and therapists.

Employers across the U.S. are working hard to modernize the employee experience, yet the cultural shift is immense. As the workplace becomes more complex in regards to employee locations and needs, it is critical for companies to become proficient in recognizing new warning signs of stress and disengagement. In fact, the report found two out of every three employees considering leaving their jobs agree that their employer has not followed through on their early pandemic promises to focus on mental health. Other key takeaways from the survey include:

• Two of every three employees (67%) who consider leaving their job agree that their employer has not followed through on early pandemic promises to focus on employee mental health. 68% of potential quitters said, “my employer [said] employees should focus on ‘self-care’ but doesn’t provide the resources to do so.”
• 41% of all American employees are likely to consider a job change to resolve stress. Employees are bypassing helpful company policies, such as changing teams or short-term leaves, in favor of resignation.
• Nearly 1 in 4 employees believe their physical health has suffered because of their job and at least 25% are underperforming regularly due to stress.
• Employees under 35 and working mothers are having greater reactions to stress and are most likely to change jobs or careers, or quit in the next six months.
• Although 52% of all employees report burnout, less than 20% of them are using the company benefits they believe are “most helpful” for mental health. This signals that employees may not be fully aware of what’s available, or may not feel comfortable taking advantage of certain benefits.
• Nearly 60% of employees believe that supportive management can improve retention. “A manager that prioritizes mental health” is more highly ranked by employees than both a strong office culture and mentorship.
• Employees want more than pay – six of the top ten reasons employees would stay at a job are connected with management, leadership, and culture across all demographics.

“The data is clear: employees are struggling to find healthy coping mechanisms to manage chronic stress,” said Dr. Varun Choudhary, MD, MA, DFAPA, Chief Medical Officer of Talkspace. “This new study suggests that employee well-being is shaped by many varying experiences -- from managerial relationships to workplace policies, and available mental health and wellbeing resources. It’s critical that employers pay attention to pain points and implement effective solutions that counteract chronic stress, enhance workplace culture and improve retention.”

Talkspace commissioned the survey with The Harris Poll. Fieldwork was conducted from July 29 to August 2 among 1,015 full-time employed adults aged 18+ in the United States. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables and subgroup sample sizes, please contact jkim@skdknick.com.

To learn more about the findings of the report, read the Employee Stress Check 2021 Report from Talkspace for Business.

About Talkspace

Talkspace (NASDAQ: TALK) is the leading virtual behavioral healthcare company committed to making care more effective, accessible, and convenient. Talkspace addresses the challenges of traditional mental healthcare by combining effective clinical solutions with technology designed for how we live today. The platform is powered by a diverse team of certified mental health specialists in every state providing therapy and psychiatric treatment for individuals, couples, and adolescents. Talkspace therapists meet clients where they are, on their schedules, on any device, via chat, voice, and video. All care is delivered through an easy-to-use and fully encrypted web and mobile platform, consistent with HIPAA and other state regulatory requirements. More than two million people have used Talkspace.

Talkspace for Business, the enterprise division of Talkspace, now covers more than 55 million lives. Existing relationships include leading employers, schools, and the nation’s largest health care plans, including an in-network provider agreement with Cigna.

For more information about Talkspace commercial relationships, visit https://business.talkspace.com/. To learn more about online therapy, please visit: https://www.talkspace.com/online-therapy. To learn more about Talkspace Psychiatry, please https://www.talkspace.com/psychiatry.

About The Harris Poll

The Harris Poll is one of the longest-running surveys in the U.S. tracking public opinion, motivations, and social sentiment since 1963 that is now part of Harris Insights & Analytics, a global consulting and market research firm that delivers social intelligence for transformational times. We work with clients in three primary areas; building twenty-first-century corporate reputation, crafting brand strategy and performance tracking, and earning organic media through public relations research. Our mission is to provide insights and advisory to help leaders make the best decisions possible. To learn more, please visit www.theharrispoll.com.

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