Why Are Millennials So Stressed at Work?

Dubbed the unluckiest generation by prominent news publications, millennials are dealing with an incredible amount of stress at work right now. We explore why.

Being classified under nomenclature riddled with stereotypes aside, do certain events affect millennials and Gen Zers more than they do other generations? 

Perhaps not. Millennials have seen two major recessions – one when some of us started working (2008–09), and another, now, a pandemic-induced recession. This has already slowed down our financial growth and affected the way we see the world and approach work. 

Jobs are changing, some millennials are losing jobs, and others are still paying off education loans. Some roles we studied for already don’t exist. New roles are coming up, but are we prepared for them? 

Recent conversations around racial inequity and discrimination at work have heightened stress among millennials of color, who already face greater risks and challenges than their white counterparts in every area of life.

Why are millennials so stressed at work, you ask? 

Millennials Were Always Stressed – It’s Just Worse Now

Millennial stress existed long before coronavirus crisis came along and shook everything up. 

In 2019, the American Institute of Stress reportedOpens a new window  that 39% of millennials said their stress had increased from the previous year, and 76% reported workplace stress to be the most significant contributor to stress.

Then came the pandemic. And a report by NRC healthOpens a new window  found that 48% of millennials indicated that their mental health – including feelings of anxiety and depression – had somewhat worsened owing to the crisis. 

But we have findings to the contrary. One of the most cited surveys about millennials, the 2020 Deloitte Millennial SurveyOpens a new window  of 275,000 millennials and Gen Zers, found that this generation is likely to emerge more resilient owing to the pandemic. 

In the survey, before the pandemic, 61% of millennials surveyed revealed financial concerns to be their topmost concerns. About 50% saw their financial situation deteriorating in the future. But as the COVID-19 pandemic struck, things seem to have changed, and millennials have been able to save more and may be able to deal with an unexpected financial need more effectively. 

Pre-pandemic stress numbers were at 44% for millennials, but the pandemic – surprisingly – seems to have reduced the stress. It must be noted that Deloitte’s survey was conducted in two parts: pre-pandemic and post-pandemic, during which the number of respondents halved. It is unclear whether a comparison between these two phases is equitable. 

Interestingly, SiblyOpens a new window , a text-based mental health service that partners with organizations to provide 24/7, on-demand support for their employees, found that its client base increased by 200% since the pandemic. Of this increase, millennials and Gen Zers made up 60%. 

Learn More: Top 3 People Metrics to Track as Employees Return to Work in 2021

Why Is Work Contributing to Millennial Stress? 

There is very little that wouldn’t cause millennials (or anyone, for that matter) stress at this point. But three factors emerge as strong reasons for workplace stress: the probability of layoffs, the growing isolation from the pandemic’s remote work outcome, and the ongoing racial unrest in several countries. 

Increased layoffs

In a study by the Pew Research CenterOpens a new window  in April 2020, 35% of respondents aged between 18 and 29 reported that they or someone in their family had lost a job after the COVID-19 pandemic began. Among older millennials, in the age group 30–49, 30% said they or someone at home had lost a job. 39% had to take a pay cut. 

The Washington Post has called millennials the “unluckiest generation in U.S. historyOpens a new window ” for this reason. This generation is expected to experience slower economic growth due to both recessions experienced in such a short period. This is enough to keep them up at night, wondering whether their job will be axed next, or whether they are next in line for a pay cut. 

Isolation

“The workplace used to be a source of human connection and spontaneous interactions between co-workers and other individuals at events or conferences. Now work is just work. Loneliness and isolation have never felt so prominent and it’s hurting everyone, especially Gen Z and Millennials, who are still building out their circles of close friends, family, and professional networks,” said Moe AlKadOpens a new window Opens a new window tle=”Opens a new window” target=”_blank” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>i, co-founder and CEO of Sibly.

In an article on CNBCOpens a new window , Tess Brigham, psychotherapist and life coach, urges millennials to take their mental health seriously – especially since we realized the mental health implications the pandemic might wreak on us. She highlights how more members of the millennial generation might be at higher risk of developing long-term mental health issues owing to the isolation caused by COVID-19. 

In addition, a lot of millennials are now working moms, whose stress has increased during this pandemic. The stress of being a parent is already high. The pressure of being a parent who has to work from home while caring for a child is further elevated. The stress of isolation while battling these fires could cause some severe damage to their health and workplace productivity.

Conversations around diversity and inclusion – or the lack thereof – at work

Millennials are the most diverse populationOpens a new window in the U.S. Recent conversations around racial inequity and lack of inclusion in the workplace may likely affect these employees. Several organizations are in the middle of gender and racial discrimination scandals, and millennials of color are likely to find a lack of alignment between their own values and those of their organization. But in the current economic environment, can they afford to place values over steady income? These questions are likely to contribute their stress in the workplace.

Learn More: What Employee Care Looks Like Amid a Global Pandemic

What Can Employers Do to Support Their Millennial Employees?

Several people are quick to disregard stress and burnout as a modern problem, but it is pervasive. If several individuals are reporting a decline in mental health, it is a condition that needs to be dealt with. And the workplace needs to accommodate this change in mental health patterns across the board – which makes up more than 50% of the workforce. 

“I recommend that employers evaluate the unused leave days among their workforces. Encourage employees to take a break from work by encouraging them to take a vacation, shift the workweek to include a day off, or add the occasional long weekend to their route,” says Dr. Steele Flippin. 

Several employers have taken to this strategy. Elephant Ventures, a software and data engineering company, announced earlier this monthOpens a new window that it would reduce the workweek to 4 days, with 10-hour days, Monday through Thursday. The idea is to give employees a no-email, no-Slack, three-day weekend where they can come back rejuvenated at the beginning of the week. The company introduced this measure after it proved successful in its Philippines office, where they saw a 20–30% increase in productivity. 

Tech companies offering voice analytics technology to monitor employee wellness have also experienced growth since employees started working remotely. Using such technology may help organizations measure and devise strategies for employees’ mental health based on different age groups. 

Organizations have the chance to help their employees manage their mental health through a structured approach to enable the resiliency critical to the future of work. It also demonstrates employee care and ensures that they can contribute meaningfully to the organization.

Giving employees the time to disconnect from work, a flexible schedule that allows them to manage their workload as they see fit, and an open communication channel where they can voice concerns about what is causing them stress at work will help in the long run. Taking steps to address the diversity issue in the workplace and letting them know how the organization is planning to handle it is also critical to assure your employees.

“Fortunately, due to a lot of great work to reduce the stigma associated with mental health, the younger generations are more open to discussing and seeking help to cope with stress,” adds Dr. Steel Flippin. “I also believe that they have expectations that their employers will be empathic to their psychological needs and have interventions available via their benefits program to help.”

Is your organization taking a structured approach to meet this expectation?

How are you helping millennial employees manage stress in your organization? Tell us on LinkedInOpens a new window , TwitterOpens a new window , or FacebookOpens a new window .