New studies reveal concerning trends as women report high levels of exhaustion and stress
This article is written in partnership with Beneva Inc.
We’ve all heard of burnout, workplace stress and excessive workload. However, data increasingly shows that women have an extra layer of stress that often goes unrecognized – invisible mental load.
‘Mental load’ describes the emotional, cognitive and mental labor that can pass to individuals almost by default. This can include tasks such as making appointments, planning social activities, organizing the household or delegating tasks, as well as checking in on people emotionally. It appears that women have significantly higher levels of mental load compared to men, and much of this is due to societal gender roles and misconceptions around the ‘inherent abilities’ of men vs women. But what does this look like in the workplace, and how can SMEs help to ease the pressure?
According Université Laval’s 2023 survey - The Mental Health of Managers in Canadian SMEs, conducted in partnership with Beneva - almost 30% of female managers reported anxiety difficulties compared to less than 20% of men. Female managers also reported higher levels of exhaustion, distress and insomnia compared to men, as well as higher workloads.
Statistics Canada reported similar findings in 2022, where its data revealed that the proportion of employed people impacted by mental health disabilities was 8.7%. Of these, women and young people were the most affected.
All of this suggests that while mental health programs and policies are increasing in number, it's imperative to consider the particularities of women's experience in the workplace, in order to provide them with an adequate solution to the issues raised, so that they can achieve fulfillment in the workplace.
“32% of organizations don't have the data they need to identify the optimal benefit changes to better support their employees. It goes without saying that the best decisions are based on accurate and reliable data,” a Beneva spokesperson comments.
“At Beneva, we have a number of measurement and data analysis tools at our disposal, including workplace health assessment, which enables us to target and prioritize interventions that will deliver results in terms of individual and organizational health. We base our coaching on expertise and evidence-based data. Our Best practices and strategic support teams remain focused on delivering the right services at the right time across the entire health continuum.”
Unique challenges faced by SMEs
SMEs should play a leading role in addressing mental load at work. In 2022, businesses with under 100 employees comprised 98% of all employers, and almost two thirds of Canadian workers were employed at an SME. But while large organizations may be able to allocate significant resources to mental health and wellbeing, SMEs often don’t have the same resources.
According to the Portrait of the Mental Health of SME Workers in Canada 2023 summary report, SMEs have the will to address the issue – but they often struggle with resourcing large-scale initiatives to the same level as a large organization. They’re also less able to invest in technology that could help them to measure the impact and prevalence of poor mental health, therefore depriving them of potentially valuable data.
SMEs themselves have been under significant pressure over the last several years. Post-pandemic struggles have hit SMEs particularly hard, and women have been more likely to suffer severe economic consequences. As a result, almost 50% of SME workers have reported a negative effect of the pandemic on their mental health, and around 22% of people are experiencing burnout above the clinical threshold.
So what can SMEs do to tackle these worrying trends?
According to the summary report, the first step is all about raising awareness. Managers in particular would benefit from understanding the importance of prioritizing mental health, as well as creating a climate of psychological safety.
Listening to the interests and needs of those most affected – in this case, women and young employees – is also vital. Best management practices suggest that managers deploy a workplace health survey to their employees to find out what their real needs and concerns are. In this way, they are better able to develop a strategic plan that responds to real issues, and thus achieve better results in terms of maintaining mental health. Understanding needs will have an impact on presenteeism, productivity and reduced staff turnover.
When it comes to seeking help and support, the research confirms that stigma is still an ongoing issue. 37.3% of SME employees thought that disclosing a psychological problem could damage their career, while 43% thought it would make their supervisor treat them differently. With this in mind, efforts to destigmatize mental health issues should be front of mind for SMEs, as well as promotion of support resources such as EAPs and self-management workshops.
Since workload is often the biggest contributing factor to burnout, offering employees the chance to adapt their tasks, their environment and the way they work can be hugely effective in reducing mental stress. This can also involve considering the needs of hybrid and remote workers, and looking at things such as ergonomic environment and social opportunities.
Finally, it is important to encourage self-management practices in employees – but also to identify risks, protective factors and support needs that you can influence as an employer. By considering the specific situation of different groups of employees, you can begin to foster health programs that meet the needs of everyone.
To find out more about the state of mental health in Canada’s SME workers, download the full summary report here.
