Covid, lockdowns, cost of living crisis and the pace of life today have taken their toll on everyone, but the under 30’s seem to be suffering more than the rest of us. This has lead me to wonder if Gen Z are the lost generation?
Gen Z are those aged between 11 and 26.
What the statistics say
Resolution Foundation has a new report which has found that young adults are significantly more likely to be out of work due to poor mental health than those in their 40’s.
In addition this is supported by findings from The Institute for Fiscal Studies that claims for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) benefit doubled over the course of one year with around a third of new claims being for mental health conditions. For claimants under 25 that figure rose to 70%, so what is happening to our younger generation?
With more than one-in-three 18-24-year-olds now experiencing a common mental disorder, urgent action is needed. Alongside work to address the root causes of this epidemic, we need to ensure that young people’s future prospects are not blighted by their mental health problems.
Louise Murphy, Senior Economist at the Resolution Foundation
Loneliness
There is a lot of instability in the jobs market, the cost of living crisis and other factors but it was always so, although feelings of hopelessness are particularly common amongst young people, as is loneliness. A loss of hope is a key feature of depression, along with reduced energy and motivation, all of which leave sufferers struggling to function in the workplace. A report by Cigna in 2020 found that lonely and socially disconnected employees are at greater risk of reduced productivity and were more likely to miss work days.
Mental Health, Community and Connection
There have been calls for more mental health support to be available in colleges and sixth forms to avoid a ‘lost generation’ due to ill health. But also consider what you can do as a workplace community to foster connection and wellbeing.
It’s going to take structural recognition of the issues in schools, for managers to be better educated in managing mental health scenarios and team members reaching out in workplaces to help our younger generation to thrive.
Workplace expectations
According to Gallup, Gen Z and millennials expect their organisation to care about employee wellbeing, whilst older workers have this as a secondary consideration after the organisation being ethical. What this suggests is a shift from the employers deciding who they want to work in their organisation, to workers making judgement calls on which organisation is the best place for them to thrive.
Social Connection
I have often advocated that the workplace is the only community that most people belong to. Gone are the days of going down the pub after work with your colleagues, and the 5-a-side football team. With church attendance also reducing, it’s time to recognise the changing role that the workplace and the leadership team has in peoples lives. Home working, whilst beneficial to a lot of people, can also reduce the social aspect of life. What can we do to create social connection and grow our community within the working environment?
Five ways to increase social connection in the workplace
1. Talk club
Think about how you can get people to form friendships at work. Online coffee roulette where you pair people up for a 15 minute conversation will grow their network within the organisation and they could also find someone they can call a friend. This can be expanded into ‘speed dating’ where you offer participants the option to speak to people with certain hobbies, or who work within different parts of the business.
2. Support existing communities
From team members who belong to professional associations, to mental health first aiders, consider what you can do to support ready made links within your team members. Why not sponsor them getting together, expanding their knowledge and being sociable.
3. Support their wellbeing
The ACCA talent trends report 2024 surveyed 10,000 accountants globally and discovered that 57% felt that work negatively impacted their mental health and 47% believe that their leaders and managers need leadership training. This underlying trend is not limited to accountants and is common place in the workplace. From leadership training and awareness workshops to sporting challenges, all of these help to bring people together as a human being not an economic unit. They allow an up-skilling of people to be able to make good decisions for themselves and to be more impactful and effective as a leader
4. Volunteering
Chatting whilst you volunteer alongside your colleagues can be a great way to start a conversation. Whether it’s clearing land at a local park or helping primary school children to read, it can bring together people with similar values, aims or passions, as well as being a give back for the organisation as a whole.
5. Celebrations
How do employees know that you care about them? What do you celebrate? Do you have employee appreciation events? Do you reward or recognise years of service? This care aspect is even more important for employees under 30 than for any other group.
How can we help you?
Did you know we run workshops for workplaces around mental health for managers? We are also coaches and mentors. Take a look at our offerings here.
For some more information about anxiety take a look at our blog
We are running an online event to support building good mental health on 14th May at 1pm. Book your free place here.
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