A depressing reason for young employees missing work days has been revealed: they are more likely to experience depression

Big problem for the economy

A new study has found that Generation Z employees (that is, people under 30) miss work days due to mental health problems. In one year, such an office worker cannot work normally for a total of 50 days.

Figures show the average office worker feels unable to work properly due to their mental health for 50 working days a year.

While an analysis by health insurer Vitality found that only 6 of those 50 days were marked as sick leave, employees who did report to work struggled to make any progress.

These performance problems have been linked to poor mental health, including burnout, stress, insomnia and obesity, the Times reports.

People under 30 are more likely to report poor performance at work compared to older generations. Generation Z workers reported 60 lost productive days due to health problems, compared to 36 days for people age 50 and older.

The study also found that younger employees are twice as likely to suffer from depression and show higher levels of burnout and fatigue than their older colleagues.

The study was prompted by data last year that showed employees took an average of 7.8 days of sick leave last year, the highest level since 2008. The problem is felt more acutely among public sector workers compared to their private sector counterparts.

Official data recently showed that the number of long-term ill people had reached a record 2.6 million. The number of people classified as economically inactive was 8.8 million, or just over a fifth of the working age population.

The biggest increase in economic inactivity was recorded among people aged 16 to 34, with more than half a million leaving their jobs.

Vitality chief executive Neville Kupowitz said the results “have significant implications for the UK economy” and highlight the “complexity of the problem facing UK employers”, who were asked to address the issue last year.

He explained: “Companies must recognize the importance of promoting worker health. Actions must be meaningful and deliberate, and employees must feel like their well-being matters. If health in the workplace is properly managed, businesses and the economy as a whole will benefit greatly.”