Leading Indicator Systems Releases Survey Results: COVID-19’s Deepening Crisis of Employee Wellbeing

In conjunction with National Mental Illness Awareness Week (Oct. 4-10), LIS announced the release of its latest Workforce Listening Study focused on mental health challenges faced by workers. Fielded in September, the survey probed changes in the emotional state of American workers, revealing a shift toward strivings for justice and accomplishment. These changes are outpacing employer actions, which are perceived as backsliding. “The profound emotional toll we saw in our last study has not gone away,” explained John Penrose, Leading Indicator Systems CEO, adding, "in fact, workers are even more concerned, and employers may be losing focus.” The national survey of 805 employees has a confidence level of 95 percent with a margin of error of 3.4 percent.

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COVID-19’s Deepening Crisis of Employee Wellbeing

Employee outlook has deteriorated

• Extreme concerns about having access to food/medicine and being able to care for family have increased by 50%.
• Extreme concern that society will break down has doubled, underscored by increased feelings of injustice.
• Fear that the worst is yet to come has grown 11% since April; linked to this fear are strivings for ethics and purpose.

The pandemic has come home

• The percentage of employees who know someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 has doubled; 8% have tested positive; 20% know someone who died of COVID.
• Extreme concern for health is up (+ 62%), as is concern about infection.

Mental health is eroding

• Extreme concern for one’s own mental health has increased by 38%.
• Extreme concern about addiction has more than doubled (+140%).
• One in ten continues to be psychologically isolated or to have unmet caregiving needs.
• Feeling unsafe at home has increased sevenfold.

Employer support is backsliding

• Finding it challenging to work under COVID has risen from two-thirds to three-quarters
• Having resources needed to do one’s job has dropped (-5%).
• Understanding company’s plans for getting back to work has fallen (-11%).

A moment of truth for employers

• Top emotional needs are realizing potential, inclusion, and safety, yet the biggest shift is an increased need for justice.
• Top areas of dissatisfaction are unfairness of executive compensation, environmental unsustainability, taking advantage of employees, unequal pay/opportunity, irresponsible governance, and lack of corporate commitment to social justice.
• Expecting work to fundamentally change has increased (+25%).
• Expecting the employee-employer bond to deteriorate is up 50%.

Employee emotions serve as leading indicators

• Consistent with the previous wave, predictive analytics demonstrate that emotional measures are five times more predictive of key outcomes like employee engagement and retention than traditional survey items.

About Leading Indicator Systems

Leading Indicator Systems, a partner to human capital practitioners, provides assessment solutions that move the needle on the things that matter most. LIS’ Workforce Listening Series is a tracking survey of American employees, providing insight into their emotional and motivational needs.

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