MHFA England has warned that employers risk losing younger workers unless mental health support starts from the first day of employment, after new research found high stress, weak psychological safety, and rising quitting risk among 18 to 24-year-olds. Released ahead of Mental Health Awareness Week, the findings show many younger employees are struggling once they enter the workplace, not only before they do.
More than one in four young employees said their mental health had been affected because they did not feel safe enough to speak up or ask for help at work. MHFA England said 18 to 24-year-olds are nearly eight times more likely than older colleagues to report poor mental health because of work, while 31% have considered leaving their job because of a lack of psychological safety.
The issue is also affecting day-to-day management and retention. Nearly 43% of younger employees reported high stress from feeling unable to speak up at work, almost double the rate among older colleagues. MHFA England said 29% of young people have avoided giving honest feedback to their manager, more than twice the rate of older colleagues, and 78% said a lack of psychological safety reduces their motivation.
The research lands against a harder labour market for younger people. Youth unemployment among 16 to 24-year-olds stands at 15.8%, up from 14.6% a year ago, and the British Chambers of Commerce has forecast it could rise to 17% this year as higher labour costs and AI’s effect on entry-level roles tighten the graduate job market.
Sarah McIntosh, Chief Executive, MHFA England and the Association of Mental Health First Aiders, said: “Young people don’t just need a route into work, they need workplaces that feel safe once they get there. When people cannot ask for help, speak honestly, or manage stress openly, employers lose the fresh-thinking that early-career talent brings. We simply cannot afford to lose more young people from the workplace. This Mental Health Awareness Week is about action, and that action should start from a young employee’s very first day.”
MHFA England is calling on employers to build support across recruitment, onboarding, day-to-day inclusion, retention, and return from leave. It is also inviting organisations to read its Mental Health Awareness Week blog and access its free action tip sheets.
This year’s Mental Health Awareness Week theme is “Action”, with MHFA England arguing that awareness alone is no longer enough.
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