The Momentum of Quiet Quitting

America is in a mental health epidemic. And just like physical health, employers are now expected to provide the resources to address it.

For most jobs, this was unthinkable just a few years ago. But three stats show how much the tide has changed: 


Talking about mental health in the workplace — and demanding employers do something about it — is no longer taboo. Companies, desperate to retain workers, have caught the vibe.


WHAT’S UP ⬆️:
Amid a tight labor market, businesses are offering more perks that promote wellness and work-life balance to attract talent. After years of #riseandgrind with too little to show for it, hustle culture is now cringe. Great Resignation-era soul searching has led thousands to reassess the role work plays in their lives, and bosses — for now, at least — are listening.

  • SPANX: Last year, the company offered 500+ employees first-class plane tickets and $10k each to spend on vacations! 🤯 Recognizing that corporate social responsibility drives employee engagement and happiness, Spanx also formed a foundation that has donated $5 million to boost female entrepreneurship. It's also provided $5,000 grants to more than 1,000 woman-owned businesses.


  • GOOGLE: The tech giant gives a $1,000 allowance to remote workers for the best work from home setup. Google also initiated flexible hours and global days off to help workers take care of their mental health. Staff who come into the office have amenities including daycare, gyms, and even electric scooters — among a slew of other perks.


  • AKAMAI: This cloud computing firm created a Corporate Wellness Program Manager position to develop resources that promote work-life balance. The role works closely with the Akamai community to craft events and activities like a multi-week sleep improvement workshop, pet therapy, outdoor scavenger hunts, and a speaker series on topics like burnout.


WHAT’S DOWN ⬇️:
The stigma around mental health in the workplace is eroding. Ultimately, employers neither have the ability nor responsibility to solve employees’ mental health struggles, but they still must provide understanding and resources for workers in need.

WHAT’S NEXT ➡️:

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Disruption		 The fact that two-thirds of companies are adding new benefits to better support mental well-being is a staggering change from just a few years ago. These perks, according to insurance broker NFP’s June survey, include enhanced time off and leave policies, online resources, management mental health training, and coaching and telehealth resources. On top of that, over half of employers have launched virtual mental health resources over the past year.
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Innovation		 If you’ve been in the workforce for more than a few years, you know that the current moment feels different. The fact that so many corporate leaders are talking about innovations like work-from-anywhere, four day workweeks, peer-to-peer parenting pods and even just openly encouraging workplace boundaries is a massive change from before the pandemic.
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Polarization		 Not everyone is comfortable voicing their mental health issues — and doing so in the workplace can raise uncomfortable questions around mental health discrimination.

The unease cuts both ways. One exec recently said, "A lot of staff that work for me, they expect the organization to be all the things… Can you get your love and healing at home, please? But I can’t say that, they would crucify me." 👁👄👁 These CEOs fear if you give a mouse a cookie, it'll ask for a union.
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Stickiness		 Clocking out at 5, taking care of yourself, and not going "above and beyond" without being rewarded accordingly. It shows the backlash to overwork is real — and a lot of people are here for it.
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Social Impact		 Many corporate leaders only now recognize that these benefits aren’t nice-to-haves; the wellbeing of employees is essential to the bottom line. The fact that the conversation is shifting in a positive direction gives us hope that mental health will be discussed more openly. The more these conversations happen, the less stigma and shame people will feel surrounding them.

WATCHOUT: Too often, perks like these are just bandaids to cover sus behavior elsewhere, like leadership scandals or pay inequity for female and BIPOC coworkers.

Content Team