Press Release

Millennials Feel Greater Workplace Strain According to Vitality’s COVID-19 Survey on Mental and Physical Health

Issued by Vitality

May 5, 2020

Chicago, May 5, 2020 -- During the COVID-19 crisis, millennials are more likely to report being new to remote work; less productive than usual; and feeling a decreased employer connectivity than typical when compared to their Generation X and baby boomer colleagues. These are among the findings of a survey on how people are coping from global health and wellness company Vitality Group. More than 109,000 responses have been logged to an ongoing poll finding that while health and life stressors are taking their toll, people report remaining connected and productive.

“As employers navigate this unprecedented global health and economic crisis, wholly new work methods are required for organizations and their people,” said Tal Gilbert, CEO of Vitality USA. “These ongoing polls shed light on how people in diverse contexts are coping. This enable us to help employers continuously adapt to keep their people healthy, productive and connected even though many are working apart.”

Additional survey findings include:

• Across all measured mental and physical health dimensions (e.g., anxiety, employer connectedness, sleep, diet, exercise), a higher proportion of millennials report experiencing worse effects during COVID-19 than usual relative to their older colleagues (Generation X and baby boomers).
• Almost 3 in 5 people reported working from home and over 71% said it was a new experience for them.
• Despite the unprecedented circumstances 40% stated that they were as productive as they were previously and 26% said that were more productive than usual.
• Almost 75% responded that they agreed or strongly agreed that they had all the tools they needed to work successfully remotely. More than 74% reported that they felt as or more connected with their employer than usual.
• While almost 48% noted that their sleep quality was consistent with pre COVID-19 levels, 32% suggested that their sleep quality had deteriorated materially. Almost 38% of reported sleeping less than they usually did.
• More people said their eating habits had improved than deteriorated with 40% reporting their diets had remained consistent and more than 32% said they improved.
• While 31% said they were getting as much exercise as they have previously, 33% reported getting less and 36% reported exercising more.
• Naturally, anxiety has increased during a time of immense uncertainty with almost 58% feeling more anxious than normal.
• Unsurprisingly, education and healthcare professionals have been forced to adopt entirely new work processes, and deal with the immense health ramifications of the crisis, respectively. As such, they are more likely to report feeling ill equipped for the ongoing crisis.
• While education professionals were amongst the most impact by COVID-19, they exhibited the greatest improvement in self-reported productivity from March to April.

Leveraging its US corporate news feed functionality to pulse timely surveys to its members these insights are based on over 109,000 responses to 12 surveys. A snapshot of the latest findings can be found here. Upcoming polls will focus on work-related stress, social isolation and loneliness, financial concerns and shifting home dynamics.

About Vitality
Guided by a core purpose of making people healthier, Vitality is the leader in improving health to unlock outcomes that matter. By blending smart tech, data, incentives, and behavioral science, we inspire healthy changes in individuals and organizations. Vitality brings a global perspective through successful partnerships with the smartest insurers and most forward-thinking employers around the world. More than 16 million people in 24 markets engage in the Vitality program. For more information, visit vitalitygroup.com.

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