Members of Generation Z addled with mental health problems are missing at least one day’s work per week, a new analysis has found.
The average British worker doesn’t feel up to the task of working to their full capacity for almost 50 working days each year – a productivity shortfall costing the UK economy £138billion – said the report by insurance firm Vitality.
And younger employees are driving the average up, with under-30s under-performing for a whopping 60 days per year – almost double the 36 days of over-50s.
But despite the double-digit days of health-based poor performance, only six of these days are formally taken as sick leave.
Some employees have turned to 'quiet quitting' over mental health concerns (stock image)
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The study, based on a survey of 4,000 employers and staff, pointed to burnout, stress, insomnia and even obesity as drivers behind underachievement in the workplace.
It suggests that younger staff experience mental health issues like tiredness and burnout at a higher rate, with under-30s twice as likely to have depression as their older colleagues.
But research in the past has shown that Gen Z-ers are more keen to do something about it: they are significantly more likely to formally take sick days owing to poor mental health, and almost a third have left or are planning to leave a job due to its impact on their mental health.
Some younger employees have even turned to ‘quiet quitting’, where workers will put in just enough effort needed to keep their jobs, but nothing more.
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Chancellor Jeremy Hunt will not be thrilled with the figures, as mental health-induced time off is costing the UK billions
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The blame for Gen Z workers’ woes might lie further up office food chains, the report shows as young employees just aren’t convinced their workplaces and management are invested in their wellbeing and health.
Poor health – mental and physical – has seen a staggering 2.6 million Britons sign off work with long-term illnesses, over 500,000 of whom are aged 16 to 34.
That’s just under 30 per cent of the total ‘economically inactive’ working-age population, of which there are 8.8 million in the UK.
Vitality CEO Neville Koopowitz said his firm’s findings had “concerning implications for the UK economy” and encouraged businesses to support their employees’ health.
He said: “The data highlights the complexity of the problem facing employers in the UK, but also the opportunity for benefit if it can be addressed.
“Businesses must recognise the importance and impact of facilitating a healthy workplace, one that acknowledges employees’ mental and physical health needs.
“Action needs to be meaningful and informed, and employees need to feel that their wellbeing matters and be educated and encouraged to use the support available.
“If health at work is properly managed, business and the wider economy stand to gain significantly.”