Mental Health America (MHA), formerly the National Mental Health Association, was founded in1909 and is the nation’s leading community-based nonprofit dedicated to helping all Americans
achieve wellness by living mentally healthier lives. Our work is driven by our commitment topromote mental health as a critical part of overall wellness, including prevention services for all,early identification and intervention for those at risk, integrated care and treatment for those whoneed it, with recovery as the goal.

MHA’s research is part of an ongoing commitment to uncovering workplacedisparities and addressing the psychological needs of the workforce. MHA seeks to
explore factors in work environments that influence employee engagement,
workplace stress, and mental health. The research results help inform programs thatcan be developed and guidance we can give companies to make all workplaces in
America successful and healthy.

This publication was made possible by The Faas Foundation.

This report was researched, written and prepared by Theresa Nguyen, Madeline Reinert, Michele
Hellebuyck, and Danielle Fritze

500 Montgomery Street, Suite 820
Alexandria, VA 22314-1520
www.mentalhealthamerica.net
Copyright © 2019 by Mental Health America, Inc.

Mental Health America’s Mind the Workplace 2019 report explores the relationships
between supervisor communication styles, company culture of open and safe
communication, and employee engagement and wellbeing.
•••

What matters more in creating safe spaces for disclosure – having supervisors who create
safe spaces or creating a company culture of safe and open communication?
How does a supervisors’ communication style or a company’s culture of open
communication foster motivation, engagement, and mental healthy workplaces?
If a person does not feel safe to speak out on personal concerns or ethical violations, howmuch does that contribute to their engagement and wellbeing?

FINDINGS•••••

Supervisor communication and a company culture of safe and open communication are
correlated with an employee’s motivation, confidence, and pride.
Supervisor communication is correlated with safety in reporting ethical violations and areas
for improvement in the workplace.
Feeling comfortable to report dishonest or unfair practices was most correlated with pride(whether you would recommend your workplace to others).
Among all employee wellbeing measures, pride was the most correlated with supervisor
communication and a company culture of safe and open communication.
People who are the most stressed also reported they were in companies where it was safer toremain silent about their personal problems.

Employee Engagement and Wellbeing• Fifty-eight percent of people reported that they were unmotivated at work. Of those, twentyfour percent were strongly unmotivated.
• Sixty-six percent reported that workplace issues negatively affect their sleep, and half of
respondents engage in unhealthy behaviors to cope with workplace stress.
• Over half of respondents would not recommend their workplace to others, and 1 in 5 werestrongly against it.
• Nearly half (45 percent) look for a new job at least several times per week.
Supervisor Communication and Support• Sixty-one percent of respondents disagreed that their supervisors check in on theirworkplace needs.
• Only half reported they receive enough guidance to perform their jobs well.
• Fifty-three percent reported their supervisor remains objective when dealing with workplace
conflict.
• Whether a supervisor valued feedback on workplace culture was most correlated with thehealth of the organization.

Organizational Culture• Fifty-four percent of people reported they were not comfortable reporting dishonest or
unfair practices to human resources or management.
• Sixty percent reported it was safer to remain silent about things that need improvement, andsixty-nine percent reported it was safer to remain silent about their workplace stress.
• Over half (55 percent) reported they were afraid to take a day off to attend to their mental
health.

Supervisor communication and acompany culture of safe and open
communication are correlated with an
employee’s motivation, confidence,and pride.
Supervisor communication iscorrelated with safety in reporting
ethical violations and areas for
improvement in the workplace.
Feeling comfortable to reportdishonest or unfair practices wasmost correlated with pride (whether
you would recommend yourworkplace to others).
Among all employee wellbeing
measures, pride was the most correlatedwith supervisor communication and acompany culture of safe and open
communication.
People who are the most stressed also
reported they were in companies
where it was safer to remain silent
about their personal problems.

Employee
Engagement
and Wellbeing•Fifty-eight percent of people reported that they were unmotivatedat work. Of those, twenty-four percent were strongly
unmotivated.
•Sixty-six percent reported that workplace issues negatively affecttheir sleep, and half of respondents engage in unhealthy
behaviors to cope with workplace stress.
•Over half of respondents would not recommend their workplace
to others, and 1 in 5 were strongly against it.
•Nearly half (45 percent) look for a new job at least several times
per week.

Supervisor
Communication•Sixty-one percent of respondents disagreed that their supervisors
check in on their workplace needs.
•Only half reported they receive enough guidance to perform theirjobs well.
•Fifty-three percent reported their supervisor remains objective
when dealing with workplace conflict.
•Whether a supervisor valued feedback on workplace culture wasmost correlated with the health of the organization.

Organizational
Culture•Fifty-four percent of people reported they were not comfortable
reporting dishonest or unfair practices to human resources ormanagement.
•Sixty percent reported it was safer to remain silent about things
that need improvement, and sixty-nine percent reported it wassafer to remain silent about their workplace stress.
•Over half (55 percent) reported they were afraid to take a day off
to attend to their mental health.

The Work Health Survey was launched in April 2018 and closed February 2019. It wasavailable to the public through MHA’s website, as part of MHA Screening. The survey
included 15 questions exploring topics of supervisor communication, company
communication culture, and employee engagement and wellbeing.
The Workplace Health Survey collected 9,802 responses in 10 months.
Survey Questions
The 2019 Workplace Health Survey included the following questions and statements:
Individuals were asked to rate each question/statement below on a six-point Likert scale:
Strongly Disagree, Disagree, Somewhat Disagree, Somewhat Agree, Agree, Strongly Agree.
2018 Survey Questions
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.

I am comfortable sharing new ideas with my supervisor
My supervisor values all feedback on improving workplace culture
In my company, it is safer to remain silent about things that need improvement
My supervisor remains objective when dealing with workplace conflict (e.g.
considers all parties' concerns in decision making)I am comfortable reporting dishonest or unfair practices to humanresources/management
I feel comfortable recommending my workplace to others
Supervisors regularly check on my workplace needs
I receive enough guidance to perform my job wellI feel motivated at work
Workplace issues negatively affect my sleep
In my company, it is safer to remain silent about my workplace stress
To cope with workplace stress, I do unhealthy things (e.g. drinking, drug use,lashing out at others)
I am afraid of getting punished for taking a day off to attend to my mental health
My workplace culture makes me feel less confident about my performance
I spend time looking for a new position while at work or outside of worka. If so, how often: Several times a day, Once a day. Several times a week, Once aweek, Less than once a weekDemographic Questions
The survey collected work environment information, including employment status (full-time, parttime, or independent contractor), industry type, size of the organization, benefits currently offeredby the respondents’ company, and benefits they believe would help workplace stress and mental
health. It also collected respondents’ age and gender. Providing work environment anddemographic information was voluntary.

Methodology•••

Survey responses were scored on a 1-6 Likert scale: 1 – Strongly Disagree, 2 – Disagree, 3 –Somewhat Disagree, 4 – Somewhat Agree, 5 – Agree, 6 – Strongly Agree.
Inverse scoring was used for negatively worded questions or statements.
For example, in the question “I am comfortable sharing new ideas with my supervisor,” onepoint is assigned for every “Strongly Disagree” response, and six points for every “Strongly
Agree.” For the question, “In my company, it is safer to remain silent about things that need
improvement,” six points is assigned to every “Strongly Disagree” and one point to every“Strongly Agree.”Interpretation•••

Lower scores indicate an unhealthy workplace. Higher scores indicate a healthy workplace.
The final score for each respondent represented the sum of all ratings, while the average wasdetermined by a collective sum divided by all respondents.
For the purpose of reporting results in figures, “Agree” includes all responses for Strongly
Agree, Agree, and Somewhat Agree. “Disagree” includes all responses for Strongly Disagree,
Disagree, and Somewhat Disagree.
For crosstabs, correlation coefficients are represented in parentheses next to each analysis.

Measuring Needs Among Those at Highest Risk
The respondents to MHA’s 2019 Workplace Health Survey were likely to have found the survey
when searching for mental health support through www.mhascreening.org. The sample weighsheavily among users who are experiencing other mental health concerns or are experiencing
problems with work that might exacerbate mental health concerns. Rather than reflecting thegeneral population, MHA’s survey respondents represent individuals who are most at risk ofburnout, low employee engagement, and poor employee wellbeing. The convenience sample allows
MHA to evaluate the challenges and opportunities that will impact those with the highest needs.

Employee engagement refers to the extent to which employees are committed to organizational
goals, invested in their work, and motivated to complete tasks and accept work responsibilities.
Engaged employees have a positive relationship with their workplace as a whole. Employees will
display lower levels of engagement if they have a weak attachment to their organization and/or
uphold negative perceptions and attitudes towards their colleagues and supervisors.
Employee engagement and wellbeing were measured by the following items. General concept labels
are in parentheses.
•
•
•
•
•

I feel motivated at work. (Motivation)
My workplace culture makes me feel less confident about my performance. (Confidence)
I feel comfortable recommending my workplace to others. (Pride)
Workplace issues negatively affect my sleep. (Sleep)
To cope with workplace stress, I do unhealthy things (e.g. drinking, drug use, lashing out atothers). (Stress)• I spend time looking for a new position while at work or outside of work. (Presenteeism)

Motivation
Fifty-eight percent of employees said that they had felt unmotivated at work, 24
percent Strongly Agreed that this was the case.

58%

of employees report thatthey do not feel
motivated at work

24%
felt especiallyunmotivated at work
(Strongly Agree)Confidence
For many employees, organizational culture can cultivate negative emotions related
to self-confidence. Sixty-two percent of employees agreed that their work culture
made them feel less confident in their performance.

Pride
More than half of employees (54 percent) did not feel comfortable recommending
their workplace to others, 21 percent reported they would be very unlikely torecommend their workplaces to others.

54%
Aren’t Comfortable
Recommending theirWorkplaces to Others

1 in 5
Employees reported they definitely wouldn’t
recommend their workplace to others

Sleep and Stress
Workplace stress can contribute to the decline in employee wellbeing, significantly impacting theirmood and behavior. Changes in behavior include those associated with motivation, sleeping
patterns, and changes in appetite. These are also behaviors that are often symptomatic of mental
health conditions, such as depression and anxiety.
Sixty-six percent stated that workplace issues affected their sleep, 22% Strongly
Agreed that this was the case.
Half of employees stated that they engaged in unhealthy behaviors in order to copewith workplace stress.

66%
Of employees
reported thatworkplace issues
negatively affecttheir sleep

22%
Strongly Agreed that workplaceissues negatively affect their sleep

Presenteeism
A lack of motivation and upholding a negative perception or attitude towards a workplace isindicative of job dissatisfaction. Employees that are dissatisfied with their job feel a lack ofattachment to the organization, making them less likely to feel any sense of commitment. Fiftynine percent of employees reported that they spent time looking for another job. Of
those employees, 45% reported that they did so several times a week.

Among employees looking for other work45%
reported looking for a new job several times per weekConfidence, Sleep and Coping Skills
Employees whose workplace made them feel less confident about themselves were likely to have
workplace issues impact their sleep. Employees whose sleep was negatively impacted by workplaceissues were more likely to engage in unhealthy behaviors to cope with stress.
Forty-nine percent of employees who Strongly Agreed that their workplace madethem feel less confident about their work performance, Strongly Agreed that they lost
sleep over workplace issues.

Of people who Strongly Agreed that their workplace culture
made them feel less confident:

49%
Strongly Agreed that workplace issues negatively affect their
sleep
Seventy-three percent of employees who Strongly Agreed that workplace issues
negatively affected their sleep, also agreed that they engaged in unhealthy behaviors(drinking, drug use, etc.) to cope with workplace stress.

Confidence and Presenteeism
Eighty percent of employees who Strongly Agreed that their workplace culture madethem feel less confident about their performance, agreed that they spent time looking
for another job. Forty-seven percent Strongly Agreed that they spent time looking foranother job.

47%
Strongly Agreed that they spent time looking for another job

Managerial style in the workplace is a key factor influencing organizational climate and culture.
Various managerial styles influence the degree to which employees play a decision-making role, how
information is exchanged between management and employees, and how employees receive support
from management. Managerial styles impact how employees perceive themselves and theirworkplaces, and these perceptions can have a significant impact on their behaviors.
Increased participation in decision-making processes leads to higher levels of engagement,
motivation, and productivity. Through increased participation, employees strengthen theircommunication and problem-solving skills. High levels of involvement also mean greater exposure
to information that will inform employees’ daily decisions. Employees overall feel a sense ofinclusion and self-efficacy when they are allowed to have some influence on their workplace
outputs, practices, and policies (high involvement practices).
Supervisor communication was measured by the following items:• My supervisor values all feedback on improving workplace culture• I am comfortable sharing new ideas with my supervisor• My supervisor remains objective when dealing with workplace conflict (considers all parties’
concerns in decision making)Positive supervisor communication was positively correlated with overall healthier scores. Amongthe three measures, supervisors valuing all feedback on workplace culture was most strongly
correlated with overall scores (r = .746). Supervisors valuing feedback was also moderately
correlated with how much pride an employee felt in their job (measured by whether an employee
would recommend their workplace to others, r=0.556).

The Importance of Valuing Feedback
Fifty-nine percent of employees stated that they feel comfortable sharing new ideas
with their supervisor, but only fifty-three percent of respondents agreed that theirsupervisor valued feedback on improving the workplace culture.

It is not enough to create a comfortable space to share ideas. Supervisors who demonstrate that
feedback is valuable may have a strong impact on motivation, pride, and the ability for staff to shareconflict in the office and in their personal lives. Ensuring that employee feedback is validated andvalued is the most important action a supervisor can take to improve employee engagement.

Creating a safe space for new ideas (r = .451) and demonstrating the value of feedback (r = .454)
were both positively correlated with employee motivation. Seventy-three percent who
Strongly Agreed that they felt comfortable sharing new ideas and 77 percent of
employees who Strongly Agreed that their supervisors valued feedback agreed thatthey felt motivated at work.

How comfortable a person felt sharing new ideas (r = .429) and whether supervisors
valued feedback (r = .445) were correlated with whether an employee felt safe
reporting unfair practices.

Management styles can determine whether an organization’s climate or culture is psychologically
healthy. Managerial styles that emphasize supervisorial support and promote two-way
communication foster a climate and culture where employees can feel safe addressing their mental
health concerns. The degree to which a supervisor valued feedback had a moderate correlation (r =.445) with whether a staff member felt safe reporting their personal stress.
Eighty-nine percent of employees who Strongly Disagreed that their supervisors
valued feedback, agreed that it was safer to remain silent about their workplacestress. Fifty percent Strongly Agreed.

Of employees who Strongly Disagreed that their supervisors
valued all feedback on improving workplace culture:

89%

50%

Agreed it was safer to remainsilent about their workplacestressStrongly Agreed it was safer
to remain silent about theirworkplace stressSupervisor Fairness
Only half (53 percent) of employees agreed that their supervisors remain objective
when dealing with workplace conflict (considers all parties’ concerns in decision
making).

Supervisors who are perceived as biased or subjective when dealing with workplace conflict are
discouraging employees from reporting workplace issues that may impact organizational stability.
Seventy-six percent of employees who Strongly Agreed that their supervisors
remained objective when dealing with workplace conflict agreed that they felt
comfortable reporting dishonest practices. Forty-one percent Strongly Agreed thatthey felt comfortable reporting dishonest practices.

Of people who Strongly Agreed their supervisor remains
objective when dealing with workplace conflict:

76%

41%

Agreed that they felt
comfortable reporting unfair
or dishonest practices

Strongly Agreed they felt
comfortable reporting unfair
or dishonest practices

Supervisor Support and GuidanceSupervisor support and guidance were measured through the following two items:• I receive enough guidance to perform my job well
• Supervisors regularly check on my workplace needs
Performance enhancement and employee empowerment, as a result of feedback seeking behaviors,
can only occur when employees trust their supervisor’s ability to provide support. Supervisorial
support and guidance lead to greater employee performance and lower turnover rates. Negative
perceptions about supervisor support can lead to employee mistrust and impede employee
engagement. A larger percentage of respondents felt their supervisors were unsupportive and did
not provide guidance. The lack of supervisor support had the greatest impact on an employee’s
motivation, confidence, and pride.
Sixty-one percent of survey respondents disagreed that their supervisors regularly
checked-in on their workplace needs, 21 percent (1 in 5) Strongly Disagreed that thiswas the case.

61%
Disagreed that theirsupervisors
regularly check on
their workplaceneeds

1 in 5Strongly Disagreed that their supervisors regularly check on
their workplace needs

Almost half of respondents (48 percent) disagreed that they had received enoughguidance to perform their job well.

Regular check-ins allow supervisors to monitor if employees require additional guidance on how
they can perform their job well. Ninety-two percent of employees who Strongly Agreed
that their supervisor regularly checked-in on them also agreed that they had enoughguidance to perform their job well.

In showing little concern over how workplace conditions are negatively impacting employees,
supervisors are silencing employees on issues that could be significantly impacting theirproductivity. Eighty-seven percent of employees who Strongly Disagreed that theirsupervisors regularly check on their workplace needs, agreed that it was safer toremain silent about their workplace stress.

How comfortable and open and person felt about their supervisor’s communication (r = .429) andcreating a culture of checking in regularly with staff (r = 0.412) was positively correlated with an
employee’s feeling safe to report ethical issues.

Of employees who Strongly Agreed that their supervisors
regularly check on their workplace needs:

77%

42%

Agreed they were comfortable
reporting dishonest or unfair
practices

Strongly Agreed they werecomfortable reporting
dishonest or unfair practices

Receiving guidance from a supervisor and regular check-ins were more correlated with motivation,
confidence, and pride as compared to an employee’s stress, fear, or presenteeism. Seventy-nine
percent of employees who Strongly Agreed that their supervisor regularly checked onthem, stated that they felt motivated at work. Eighty percent of employees who
Strongly Agreed that they received enough guidance to perform their job well, statedthat they felt motivated.

Eighty-four percent of employees who Strongly Agreed that they received enoughguidance to perform their job well, stated that they would recommend theirworkplace to others. Eighty-five percent of employees who Strongly Agreed that theirsupervisor regularly checked on their workplace needs, stated that they would
recommend their workplace. Fifty-nine percent Strongly Agreed that this was thecase.

Of employees who Strongly Agreed that their supervisors
regularly check on their workplace needs:

85%

59%

Agreed that they would feel
comfortable recommending
their workplace to others

Strongly Agreed that they would
feel comfortable recommending
their workplace to others

Whether employees perceive their workplace practices and policies as ones that value their work,
care about their wellbeing, or support their professional growth are measures of organizational
climate. Which policies are developed and how they are implemented are equally important inunderstanding organizational culture and its influence on employee engagement. Negative
perceptions often develop when employees feel that they are receiving little support from theirsupervisors or that their opinions, thoughts, and good performance go unrecognized or unrewarded.
Employees can serve as eyes on the ground for supervisors, because they have better knowledge ofwhat is taking place in the workplace. Management styles that foster two-way communication with
employees will give managers greater access to information on workplace issues that may thwart
employee productivity or workplace functionality. Employees that perceive the organizational
climate and culture to be closed are less inclined to communicate workplace issues. Overall
communication can play a key role in forming, changing, and sustaining climate and culture.
Remaining silent about workplace issues can perpetuate an unhealthy climate and culture that leads
to an unsafe workplace and defiant behaviors. Defiant behavior is behavior that goes againstorganization values and mission. Its prevalence affects levels of productivity and results in higher
turnover rates, ultimately hindering organizational success. Some examples of behaviors that may
contribute to an unsafe workplace are bullying and sexual harassment. Defiant behavior can also be
employee engagement in unethical practices, which threaten organizational stability.
Industry workplace scores were calculated by dividing the collective sum of ratings within eachindustry by the number of respondents who reported working in that industry. Lower scoresindicated unhealthy workplaces, and higher scores indicated healthy workplaces. Based on thiscalculation, the unhealthiest industries were: Retail (two percent of respondents), Food andBeverage (eight percent of respondents), and Manufacturing (four percent of respondents). The
healthiest industries were: Social Services (nine percent of responses), Non-profit (eight percent ofrespondents), and Telecommunications and Media (three percent of respondents). The mean score
for healthiest industries was statistically significantly different from the mean score for theunhealthiest industries (p<0.001, df=1,288). Respondents were also asked if their workplace offered
any of the following benefits: informational sessions on organizational resources, Mental Health
Awareness Campaigns, workplace wellness programs that tackle mental health issues, in-person
training for supervisors and employees, or none of the above. The mean score for workplaces thatoffered one or more benefits was significantly higher, or healthier, than workplaces that did notoffer any benefits (p<0.001, df=2,491).

Organizational culture is measured through the following items:••••

In my company, it is safer to remain silent about things that need improvement
I am comfortable reporting dishonest or unfair practices to human resources/management
I am afraid of getting punished for taking a day off to attend to my mental healthIn my company, it is safer to remain silent about my workplace stress

A Culture of Feedback
Sixty percent of surveyed employees agreed that it was safer to remain silent about
things that need improvement.

Eighty-one percent of employees who Strongly Agreed that it was safer to remainsilent about things that need to be improved in the workplace agreed that workplaceissues negatively affected their sleep. Forty-four percent Strongly Agreed thatworkplace issues negatively affected their sleep.

Of people who Strongly Agreed that it was safer to remain silent
about things that need to be improved in the workplace:

81%

44%

Agreed that workplace issues Strongly Agreed that workplace
negatively affect their sleep issues negatively affect their sleep

Employees who Strongly Agreed that it was safer to remain silent about things thatneed to be improved in the workplace also agreed that their company culture madethem feel less confident.

50%
of employees Strongly Agreed
that their workplace culture
made them feel less confident

Fifty-four percent of employees did not feel comfortable reporting dishonest andunfair practices to human resources or management.

Comfort reporting dishonest or unfair practices was also correlated with pride in the organization(r=0.509). Eighty-three percent of employees who reported being very uncomfortablewith reporting dishonest or unfair practices to human resources or management also
reported that they would not feel comfortable recommending their workplace toothers. Fifty-three percent Strongly Disagreed that they would recommend theirworkplace.

Fear of Punishment
Fifty-five percent of employees agreed that they feared punishment for taking a day
off to address their mental health needs, and 22 percent Strongly Agreed.

55%
Reported that they
were afraid of being
punished forattending to theirmental health22%
Strongly Agreed that they were afraid of being punished forattending to their mental healthA Culture of Personal Silence
In addition to remaining silent about workplace issues, employees were also hesitant or fearful of
informing their supervisors about any personal issues affecting their ability to perform in theworkplace. They were also fearful about taking any action to address them. Being silent about
personal issues was correlated with poor outcomes included difficulty with sleep (r = .437), lower
confidence (r = .539), lower motivation (r = .421), and lower presenteeism (r = .405).
Sixty-nine percent of employees agreed that in their company they had felt it wassafer to remain silent about their workplace stress, 20 percent Strongly Agreed.

69%
Agreed it was safer
to remain silent
about theirworkplace stress

20%
Strongly Agreed it was safer to remain silent about theirworkplace stressOver 50%of employees reported they were very afraid of getting punished
for taking a day off for their mental healthOf people who Strongly Agreed that it was safer to remain silent
about their workplace stress:

85%

50%

Agreed that workplace issues
negatively affect their sleep

Strongly Agreed that workplaceissues negatively affect their
sleep

51%
of employees Strongly Agreed that their workplace culture madethem feel less confidentSeventy-eight percent of employees who Strongly Agreed that it was safer to remainsilent about their workplace stress, disagreed that they felt motivated at work. Fiftyone percent Strongly Disagreed that they felt motivated.

Of people who Strongly Agreed that it was safer to remain silent
about their workplace stress:

78%

51%

Disagreed that they felt
motivated at work

Strongly Disagreed that theyfelt motivated

A company culture of safe communication is also an important factor for employee
retention. Employees who believed that it was safer to remain silent about workplacestress, reported that they spent time looking for another job.

Employee engagement and wellbeing are impacted by perceptions and attitudes towards company
culture and supervisor managerial styles. Company culture contributes to an employee’s perceptionof their company and their role within the company by affecting confidence, motivation, and pridein their workplace. Moreover, company culture is influenced by managerial styles that differ inlevels of communication, fairness, and support. Supervisors who support and provide theiremployees with guidance create a company culture where employees feel equipped and motivated toperform their job well. Managerial styles that value the feedback and ideas of its employees increase
engagement by empowering employees to discuss workplace policies and practices that improvecompany culture.
Regular check-ins by supervisors, employees’ perceptions of whether supervisors remained
objective when addressing workplace conflict, and employees’ perceptions of whether two-way
communication was valued were associated with higher levels of employee engagement in reporting
workplace issues and concerns. A company culture that is open, fosters feedback-seeking behaviors,and promotes supervisorial support and guidance can decrease workplace stress and boost
employee motivation. Employees also experience greater job satisfaction and organizational
attachment.
Managerial styles that cultivate a closed work environment negatively impact employee engagement
and wellbeing. An environment in which employees do not feel like their feedback and ideas arevalued creates a culture that discourages employees to be open about their workplace stress or toreport unfair policies and practices. Negative perceptions and attitudes of supervisors deter
employees from reporting defiant behaviors in the workplace such as bullying and sexual
harassment. It also deters employees from speaking openly about, or addressing, personal issues
that may be impacting their ability to perform their job. Employees who do not feel comfortable
sharing their workplace stress experience negative impacts to their wellbeing including affected
sleep, job dissatisfaction, and lower levels of confidence, motivation, and presenteeism.