Comparing People Managers and Employees

There may be differences among managers and frontline employees.

Excellent or Very Good Physical Health

Heading graphic of Managers and Non-Managers

Heart icon with red 'plus' sign in the middle

Managers are more likely to rate their physical health better than employees who do not manage employees.
Infographic showing non-managers at 43% and a manager at 56%

Base: All qualified respondents (n=1,041)
Q710 How would you rate your own physical health? Excellent, Very good, Good, Fair, Poor

Self-reported Mental Health

Icon graphic of a person's side profile with a magnifying glass

There is no difference in how managers and non-managers evaluate their mental
 health.

Infographic showing a manager equal to non-managers

Base: All qualified respondents (n=1,041)
Q710 How would you rate your own mental health? Excellent, Very good, Good, Fair, Poor

Diagnosed with Mental Health Disorder

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However, managers are more likely to say they have been diagnosed with a mental health disorder than non-managing employees.*

Infographic showing non-managers at 35% and a manager at 48%

* While this could imply a greater mental health need among managers, it could also imply that managers may have greater awareness and/or access to mental health professionals who can diagnose their issues.Base: All qualified respondents (n=1,041)
Q740 Has a doctor, nurse, or other health care professional ever diagnosed you with any of the following mental health disorders? Please select all that apply.

There are also differences in perceptions toward employers’ commitment to health, in terms of manager status. Managers are more likely than non-managers to agree that:

Icon representing good mental health

Employer provides an environment that is supportive of employees’ mental health

Infographic showing non-managers at 66% and a manager at 76%

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Employer communicates to employees the mental health resources available

Infographic showing non-managers at 58% and a manager at 70%

Icon of person reading info book

Information about mental health is included in general health communication from their employer

Infographic showing non-managers at 57% and a manager at 67%

Base: all qualified respondents, (n=1,041)
Q815: How much do you agree or disagree with the following statements about your employer’s culture toward mental health? Strongly agree, Somewhat agree, Somewhat disagree, Strongly disagree

Free to Talk About Mental Health

People chatting icon

They are more likely than non-managers to agree that employees are encouraged by leadership to talk about their mental health to their supervisor, free from fear of stigma.

Infographic showing non-managers at 49% and a manager at 58%

Base: all qualified respondents, (n=1,041)
Q815: How much do you agree or disagree with the following statements about your employer’s culture toward mental health?
Strongly agree, Somewhat agree, Somewhat disagree, Strongly disagree

Managers have more positive attitudes than front-line employees regarding their employers’ commitment. For example, those who manage or supervise were more likely than non-managers to agree:

Icon representing good mental health

Employer is committed to overall mental health of employees.

Infographic showing non-managers at 64% and a manager at 73%

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Employer is committed to the well-being of employees.

Infographic showing non-managers at 74% and a manager at 85%

People chatting icon

These perceptions may relate to why managers are more likely to disclose their mental health disorder to their employer than non-managing employees.

Infographic showing non-managers at 27% and a manager at 41%

Base: all qualified respondents, (n=1,041)
Q805: How much do you agree or disagree with each of the following statements about your employer’s commitment to employees?
Strongly Agree, Somewhat Agree, Somewhat Disagree, Strongly Disagree
Q815: How much do you agree or disagree with the following statements about your employer’s culture toward mental health?
Strongly agree, Somewhat agree, Somewhat disagree, Strongly disagree
Q750: Have you ever told your employer about your mental health disorder? Base: Diagnosed With Mental Health Disorder (n=371)

Managers may be less fearful of stigma around reporting a mental health issue.

Icon graphic of a person inside a magnifying glass

When it comes to treatment, however, managers are more likely than non-managers to indicate they have not been treated for their diagnosed mental health disorder (31 percent vs. 18 percent). This may mean that they are not getting the health care they need despite being aware of and having access to resources.

Nevertheless, employers should ensure that communication about available treatment resources is reaching all staff, including non-management staff, and that the communication includes messaging about the privacy and confidentiality of disclosed employee health information.