Survey asks industrial workers about their mental health and support from employers

New York — Workers in the manufacturing, warehousing, construction and transportation industries need better support for their mental and emotional needs, results of a recent survey suggest.

On behalf of StrongArm Technologies, a wearable technology company, research firm YouGov in August surveyed 602 workers in those industries. Nearly half (47%) of respondents said they feel stressed in their current job. Almost 1 out of 4 of the respondents in warehousing and transportation jobs said their work has had a negative effect on their mental health.

Other key findings:

• 32% of the warehouse and transportation workers said they’re too tired to engage with friends and family because of their jobs.
• Of that same group, 24% say they miss out on important life events because of their work hours.
• Overall, 32% say it’s difficult to take time off.
• 19% say their employer is resistant to helping employees with work-life balance.

“The future of work shouldn’t be exclusive,” StrongArm CEO Sean Petterson said in a press release. “The conversation that we’re hearing so much today around flexible benefits and more comprehensive body and mind support from employers isn’t including our most critical workforce – the industrial athletes who manufacture all of our goods, keep our grocery shelves stocked and deliver critical services. There has been a massive positive shift in the recognition of essential workers during the pandemic, and now it’s time for companies to walk the walk and provide them better support.”