Let's be real: Adulting is hard, and stressful work days are inevitable. But for some employees, it's not just an occasional case of the Mondays. Instead, crippling stress, long hours, and workplace pressure are daily realities. While stress and burnout are issues in most American workplaces, they're especially prevalent in the tech world, where regular overtime and high expectations for productivity are the norm.
According to a survey from Blind, an anonymous workplace review service, a high percentage of tech workers suffer from job-related anxiety and burnout. (Burnout is defined as emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by excessive, long-term stress.) The one-question survey had a simple "yes or no" query: "Are you currently suffering from job burnout?"
Of the 11,487 users who responded, over half of respondents (57.16%, to be precise) replied "yes."
Frankly, it's a mindblowing statistic. Even more concerning? Burnout, stress, overworking, and irregular work hours can increase a person's chance of developing depression.
“Generally, burnout is consolidated to work. However, long-term work stress can lead to depression—burnout that’s extended to other domains in a person's life,” says Zoom CMO Dr. Erik Vanderlip.In another Blind survey, users were asked to answer "true" or "false" to this statement: I believe I am depressed. Nearly 40% of the 10,081 tech workers who participated responded with "true."
Burnout, anxiety, and depression are hardly exclusive to tech companies. However, the prototypical startup culture may make employees more vulnerable to mental health issues. Some of the top-cited factors leading to workplace-related mental health issues include unreasonable workload and too much overtime—virtual cornerstones of life at a tech company.
It's simple: When employees are happy, they're more likely to thrive at work. When they're suffering, their work suffers. According to the CDC, 200 million workdays are lost each year due to depression—which amounts to roughly $17 to $44 billion in lost productivity.
Happier employees are more productive, but—beyond the financial consequences for companies—there's a moral, humanitarian component to consider. People are important. Their health, including their mental health, is vitally important.
Companies should care about their employees' mental health because the ripple effect is far-reaching. Job-related anxiety and depression (and the ailments they cause) result in over 120,000 deaths each year, making them more deadly than diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, or influenza.
Long wait times and limited availability are barriers to mental health treatment—and they're especially difficult to overcome when you're a busy, overworked tech professional.
At ZoomCare, we offer ultra-accessible mental healthcare that fits into your busy schedule. Even if you only have 30 minutes during your lunch break, we can help. You can schedule a same-day ZoomCare visit directly from your phone, easily refill or manage medications, or simply to reach out for guidance.If you or someone you know has a pressing mental health concern, we're here.
