MDGuidelines contributes a column to DMEC’s (Disability Management Employer Coalition) @Work magazine. The authors were Gage Koeller, MPH, Research Analyst, MDGuidelines team – Alight Solutions; Justine Ahle, MS, Senior Product Manager, MDGuidelines team – Alight Solutions; Peter Green, Vice President, Head of Product and Analytics, MDGuidelines team – Alight Solutions
Full article here: https://dmec.org/resources/work-magazine/return-to-work-durations-by-generation/
Publication date: January, 2025
As employers welcome new employees, understanding what inspires people in different age groups can be key to optimizing their return-to-work (RTW) durations. Each generation of employees has diverse needs, issues, and prevalent health conditions that can affect their experiences. Mental health conditions and their effects on the workplace have garnered an increasing amount of attention during the last decade, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic. Lost productivity due to anxiety and depression, the most commonly diagnosed mental health disorders, cost the global economy $1 trillion U.S. dollars annually. And these conditions may appear differently with each generation. Recognizing these differences is crucial to creating a supportive work environment that promotes mental health and reduces RTW durations.
For example, while mental health conditions are prevalent across all age groups, unique societal pressures and workplace expectations may affect employees differently. For instance, Baby Boomers (born between 1946 and 1964) and Gen X (born between 1965 and 1980) may experience mental health conditions at similar rates as other generations but have a lower likelihood of seeking treatment due to perceived mental health stigma or a more private attitude towards mental health issues. In contrast, Millennials (born between 1981 and 1996) and Gen Z (born between 1997 and 2012) have higher reported rates of mental health conditions as they are more likely to seek treatment. This may be due to more recent shifts in societal awareness and acceptance of depression and anxiety as a health problem.
We examined short-term disability (STD) and workers’ compensation (WC) data from 2007 to 2024 to assess differences in RTW durations across each generation. The data set included more than 178,000 claims from employees diagnosed with depression and more than 113,000 claims from employees diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder.
The average RTW duration for depression among each generation was as follows: Gen Z (78.6 days), Millennials (93.3 days), Gen X (119.3 days), and Baby Boomers (142.8 days). For anxiety, the average RTW duration was as follows: Gen Z (70 days), Millennials (87.4 days), Gen X (108.4 days), and Baby Boomers (128.1 days).
In both datasets, Gen X employees had the highest total number of days missed. Total days missed due to depression for Millennials and Baby Boomers were similar (6 million vs 5.5 million days respectively), and Millennials had a significantly higher number of days missed due to anxiety (4.1 million vs 2.3 million days). While the average and total days missed due to depression are similar, it’s important to note that there were fewer Baby Boomers (38,730) than Millennials (64,162) and Gen X (73,959) in the dataset.
Some employers may assume that a younger workforce may be affected more by mental health conditions compared with older populations. And while there may be more awareness of mental health among younger employees, the effects can be greater among older employees and may result in longer RTW durations.
If employers recognize these dynamics, they can tailor mental health benefits and resources to the needs of employee populations, which can improve RTW durations and provide a supportive employee environment. For example, some organizations that surveyed employees about work culture and mental health may create an Employee Assistance Program that addresses these needs, offer virtual counseling services, and train managers on mental health awareness.
References
- Mental health at work. World Health Organization. Sept. 2, 2024. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/mental-health-at-work
- Choi, N. G. et al. Alcohol and other substance use, mental health treatment use, and perceived unmet treatment need: Comparison between baby boomers and older adults. The American journal on Addictions. 2015. 24(4), 299–307. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1111/ajad.12225
- American Psychologist. Carpenter BD et al. Mental health and aging in the 2020s. Am Psychol. 2022;77(4):538-550. doi:10.1037/amp0000873. Retrieved from https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2Famp0000873
