Levels of stress, exhaustion, and workload remained high during the past 12 months among market research professionals responding to a new Insights Association and Opinium survey. One in three rate their jobs as “highly stressful”, up 5% from a year ago; over half experienced “burnout” during this year. The leading stressors reported were: Impending Deadlines (cited by 49%), Work-Related Pressures (46%), Inadequate Resourcing (45%), Project Risks (42%), Excessive Workload (37%), and Job Insecurity (33%).

A majority of insights professionals believe that their workplace values mental health, with 56% agreeing or strongly agreeing that their mental well-being is taken seriously. However, one-third of employees feel that their workplace isn't doing enough for their well-being — this sentiment increased by 4% from last year.
 

The newly released report,"Mental Well-being in Insights: Small Steps Toward Better Health” was conducted in October 2023 and included 413 responses from IA members and others working in research – spanning agency, in-house teams, suppliers, and freelance. It is the fourth year for this report in the U.S., which was modeled after the study, championed by the MRS with support from Opinium, in the UK, and also conducted in Australia by The Research Society. Partnering with IA on the study is New York-based insight agency Opinium, which deployed its workplace mental well-being audit and compiled the report.

“What stands out to me in this year’s data are the workplace issues that increased the most in incidence level from a year ago, namely co-worker/manager demands, unclear expectations, and unsupportive management,” commented Melanie Courtright, CEO of the Insights Association. “I hope that leaders in our profession will take this opportunity to assess when and where these issues occur in their organizations and focus on improving communications and other tactics to mitigate these situations.”

Stigmas Remain – On Mental Health & Taking Time Off

• While 92% told their employer they needed time off for grief or loss, less than 40% shared the real reason they took time off for all other mental health issues.
• More respondents (a 4% increase) feel unsupported when they return to work after taking time off for mental health.
• There was a 5% increase in individuals feeling guilty for taking time off for their mental health.
• There was a 3% decrease in the number of people who feel better upon returning to work after a mental health break and a 12% drop in people feeling that the quality of their work improved after taking time off for mental health.
• On the positive side, the pressure to return to work too early lessened by 9%.

What Leaders Can Do

• Senior executives can model behavior by taking mental health days themselves, sharing their experiences with burnout, or participating in wellness activities, thereby normalizing these practices within the company culture.
• Implementing Comprehensive Wellness Programs: Going beyond just talking about the importance of wellness, leaders can establish comprehensive programs that address various aspects of well-being, such as mental, physical, and financial health. This could include access to counseling services, gym memberships, financial planning assistance, and more.
• Set a tone that prioritizes work-life balance by establishing and respecting boundaries, such as not expecting employees to answer emails after hours or during weekends.
• Communicate specific steps the company is taking to support well-being, like introducing a new mental health day policy or updating existing benefits to be more inclusive and supportive.
• Institute regular one-on-one check-ins with employees to discuss not just work performance but also well-being.
• Create a feedback loop where employees can share their experiences with well-being initiatives and see that feedback leads to policy changes.
• Actively assess and adjust employee workloads to prevent burnout, rather than wait for employees to reach a breaking point.
• Provide training for all levels of management on how to support their team's well-being and how to recognize signs of strain in employees.

“While it's positive to see many companies in our industry taking steps towards employee well-being, such as offering wellness programs and encouraging time off, we still face a significant challenge in making well-being resources more accessible and removing the stigma around seeking help,” said James Endersby, CEO of Opinium. “We hope this report inspires professionals across the US to continue to build cultures where mental well-being is not just a policy, but a practice.”

The full Mental Well-being in Insights 2023 report may be accessed here.

The Insights Association recently hosted a Virtual Town Hall discussing this survey report. It included a deep dive into this report along with experts’ recommendations for businesses, managers, and employees. If you missed this session, you may access the recording here.