Mental health under pressure

We sometimes notice it around us: at home, at work, in sports, in the places we frequent—many people are not doing well. Sometimes, it is us who feel stressed, tired, or exhausted. Young adults (ages 18-34) are particularly affected, with nearly 40% reporting psychological distress in this age group. A 2022 study reveals that 28.5% of workers are at risk of burnout, with 13.4% on the verge of professional exhaustion. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated mental health issues, increasing stress and isolation, especially due to remote work. Federal authorities have launched campaigns to raise awareness about mental well-being at work and encourage open discussions on the subject. However, there is still much to be done.

Direct consequences

Mental health is everyone’s business. In the workplace, the consequences are numerous and long-lasting, affecting both employees, teams, and the organization as a whole.

At the employee level:

1. Increased stress and burnout: Stressful working conditions, combined with a lack of psychological support, can lead to professional exhaustion.
2. Decreased productivity: Employees suffering from fragile mental health often struggle to concentrate, reducing their efficiency.
3. Physical health problems: Chronic stress can lead to cardiovascular diseases, sleep disorders, physical pain, or decreased immunity. Mental health often impacts physical health.
4. Isolation and loss of motivation: Those in distress may feel the urge to isolate themselves, further affecting their engagement and relationships with colleagues.
5. Increased absenteeism: According to a recent study by Securex, mental health issues, including burnout, accounted for 32.7% of long-term sick leaves in 2022, an increase of 18.5% compared to 2019.

At the team level, the consequences are also numerous:

1. Reduced collaboration: An employee in distress may struggle to effectively interact with colleagues, creating tensions or misunderstandings. A vicious cycle can quickly establish itself.
2. Domino effect: An individual’s malaise can influence the team atmosphere, leading to a decrease in collective energy and morale.
3. Redistributed workload: Prolonged absences or decreased performance of a struggling colleague can lead to a heavier workload for other team members, disrupting the entire workforce.

At the organizational level, several points can also be noted:

1. Increased turnover: This is never beneficial for a company.
2. Decreased overall performance A stressed workforce or employees with poor mental health directly affects the company’s productivity.
3. Loss of innovation: Stress and pressure can stifle creativity and initiative, which are essential for innovation.
4. Impact on brand and image: Companies where employees don’t feel well (and express this) can be perceived as toxic, discouraging talent from joining them.
5. Economic cost: Absenteeism, presenteeism (being at work but not effective), and compensations related to mental illnesses lead to significant costs for companies.

What can be done?

Faced with these observations, what can be done to improve the situation? Experts in workplace mental health propose several reflection points:

1. Create a healthy work environment: This is probably where it all starts. It is essential to allow employees to achieve a balance between work life and personal life. This can involve encouraging flexible working hours, limiting professional emails outside of working hours, offering remote work options, or hybrid work arrangements. A healthy environment also includes ergonomic working conditions, such as improving workspace arrangements (ergonomic furniture, natural light), or providing relaxation spaces or decompression zones.
2. Implement clear policies: Employees must feel supported, heard, and taken care of. In advance, this means a policy for preventing psychosocial risks. For example, creating a clear anti-harassment policy accessible to everyone or regularly assessing risks related to workload and working conditions. In a follow-up role, it requires real psychological support when needed. This could involve procedures to assist distressed employees: contact with a psychologist or prevention counselor. It could also involve establishing a confidential support service for employees (helpline, access to counselors or psychologists), or even partially covering external therapy costs through the employer. Subscribing to wellness management apps or online therapy platforms is also an option.
3. Offer wellbeing programs: Wellbeing programs have direct beneficial effects on the company and employees. For instance, it’s possible to organize training sessions to learn stress management, improve resilience, or practice meditation. In larger organizations, it may be feasible to offer yoga classes, meditation sessions, or physical exercise sessions in the workplace. Providing healthy meals and comprehensive health and nutrition programs can be an added bonus. Additionally, anything that can strengthen team belonging, such as team-building activities or outings outside the professional context, should be emphasized.
4. Support compassionate leadership: If the employee is at the center, the management must effectively support them. There are numerous training programs available to help managers recognize signs of distress in their employees. There are also training programs to encourage participatory and empathetic management. Furthermore, regular feedback sessions with concerned employees or their supervisors is crucial (respecting confidentiality, of course). Another way to combat this issue is to establish a real culture of recognition by valuing efforts and successes through thanks or rewards. Finally, transparent internal communication is vital. If mental health is a priority, it must be made known through awareness campaigns within the company, regular sharing of available resources for mental health, and establishing discussion groups or anonymous sessions where employees can voice their concerns freely.

2025, the digital age

About twenty years ago, except in rare cases, the boundary between working time and personal life (family, leisure, etc.) was hermetic. Today, this is no longer the case. The digital world and tools at our disposal have made this boundary permeable. In both directions. The personal intrudes on work time. And vice versa. Cyberbullying is also a standalone issue. It can be fully integrated into strategies aimed at promoting well-being and ensuring the mental health of employees.

Let’s conclude on a positive note! Many companies today prioritize mental health. They are implementing initiatives such as mentoring programs, support groups, and dedicated digital platforms for the well-being of their employees.

Edenred commits to mental health

In recent years, many companies have responded to the mental health issues of their employees. At Edenred, the commitment is total.

Bertrand Dumazy, Chairman and CEO: “In a rapidly changing work environment, Edenred stands by its stakeholders—employers, employees, merchants, and public authorities. Recognizing the essential need for daily support for worker well-being, we have reinvented our services with cutting-edge digital solutions: flexible, secure, and effective. Our partnership with the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA) campaign ‘Healthy Workplaces: The Safety and Health at Work in the Digital Age’ has fostered knowledge exchange with experts, steering our digitalization towards the creation of truly healthy work environments.”

The stat: 60.000

The average cost of an employee in burnout is estimated to be 60,000 euros per year. This figure includes loss of productivity, temporary replacement costs, as well as recruitment and training of new employees.