By Kathryn Mayer
Employee mental health has already been a top concern for organizations this year, as employees have dealt with work stress, soaring financial pressure, and other concerns that have taken a toll on their overall well-being. But add holiday and end-of-year stress to that, and employee mental well-being becomes an even bigger issue in December.
More than half of workers (53%) say they feel more stressed than usual during the winter holidays, and about 1 in 5 (22%) say their overall well-being declines, according to new data from jobs site Monster.
Reasons for employees’ seasonal stress, according to the Monster survey, include financial stress (24%), time constraints for holiday preparations (20%), family commitments (19%), lack of time for self-care (17%), increased workload (14%), and travel-related stress (5%).
All that translates into the workplace: 41% of workers report a slight (31%) or significant (10%) decline in productivity during the holiday season, Monster found. That data, many experts say, indicates a mandate for employers to help employees this time of year by touting available benefits, helping manage their workloads, and encouraging them to take paid time off, among other steps.
We rounded up articles from SHRM on how employers can help mitigate holiday stress, as well as the general state of employee mental health.
10 Tips for Addressing Workers’ Heightened Holiday Stress
One reason why burnout and workplace stress intensify during the holiday season is because of the pressure to meet year-end deadlines during a shortened work month, Jeri Hawthorne, CHRO of Aflac, told SHRM in 2023. “Additional family, financial, and personal obligations also exacerbate burnout symptoms and workplace stress at the end of the year,” she said. That heightened stress will likely make its way into the office—creating not only unproductive and unhealthy employees, but also ones who may not feel valued by their employer and are therefore more likely to leave. There are several smart strategies employers can consider, from reminding employees about financial education offerings that can assist with holiday budgeting to checking in about workload—especially regarding end-of-year deadlines—and giving them a choice about attending office holiday celebrations.
Employee Mental Health Already a Big Issue
Added holiday stress comes on top of the high levels of stress and burnout workers are already feeling. Well over half of employees (57%) are experiencing at least moderate levels of burnout, according to a report from Aflac, while a Mercer survey found that 67% of employers are concerned about employees’ depression and anxiety, with 21% citing it as a serious concern. Sixty-eight percent of employers said job-related stress is a concern, and 59% cited financial stress. And earlier this year, ComPsych data showed that employee leaves of absence for mental health issues—including anxiety and depression—are surging in the workplace, up a whopping 300% from 2017 to 2023.
’Tis the Season for Employers to Address Skyrocketing Stress
The end of the year is also when personal life situations—such as navigating complicated family dynamics or experiencing feelings of grief that may intensify during the holidays—and work deadlines (for some industries, the end of the year is their busiest season) collide. In short, it’s not the merriest time of year for everyone. The perfect storm of stressors around the holiday/end-of-year season makes it all the more important for company and HR leaders to keep in mind employees’ mental health challenges. Touting available mental health benefits, encouraging employees to use their time off, and embracing flexibility are all smart strategies.
Ways to Help Your Employees Get the Holiday Break They Need
The holiday season presents an opportunity for employees to relax and recharge so they can return motivated to succeed in January.
If you’re looking for ways to encourage employees to take a break, consider strategies—including empowering workers to take time off and leading by example—that ideally will lead to some much-needed rest and relaxation during the holidays.
