Employee Mental Health and The Pandemic

In case you didn't know, May is Mental Health Awareness Month.  This year, probably more so than in years past, mental health is even more important because of the pandemic.  No doubt about it, the pandemic has taken its toll on all us in one way or another.  

• As a matter of fact, a recent survey, conducted by The Conference Board, indicates 60 percent of U.S. workers are concerned about their mental and psychological wellbeing in the wake of the pandemic's aftermath. 

• More than one-third of respondents also expressed concerns about their physical wellbeing, including fear of getting sick. 

• Another one-third worried about social wellness and belonging, such as opportunities to connect with others. 

• Spiritual wellbeing was of least concern, with only 10 percent reporting they were worried about feeling a sense of purpose in what they do.

When it comes to the generations, Millennials appear to be the group who are most concerned with their mental and psychological wellbeing. The survey also indicates they are also more concerned than other generations about professional and financial wellbeing. 

• GenXers were more concerned about social wellness and belonging than other respondents. 
• Baby Boomers are more concerned about physical wellbeing than their generational counterparts.
• Women were more concerned about spiritual wellbeing and slightly more concerned about physical, professional, and financial wellbeing than men. 
• Men were slightly more concerned about social wellbeing than women.

What was surprising to me about the survey is that an overwhelming number of employees said they felt their supervisors genuinely cared for their wellbeing.

Let's see how much that changes in the next year.  How has the pandemic affected you personally?
 

The Havoc of the Pandemic on Your Finances

 

A new survey indicates many Americans believe the pandemic has seriously altered their financial situation, which may force them to delay their retirement or not be able to retire at all.    

When news of the COVID-19 wildfire started spreading out of control across the country, many businesses were forced to shut down. As a result, millions of us lost our jobs. (I was one of them). Even though unemployment benefits were made available it didn't prove to be enough to make ALL ends meet for some families.  When you're trying to live off of $600/week with more than $3000/month in household expenses, it can be more than challenging.  Meanwhile, GOP lawmakers were busy complaining about how some people were making more money by collecting an unemployment check than they did on their jobs. (Perhaps if they raised the minimum wage to something people can actually live off of, no one would give a damn about unemployment!)  

According to the survey, 1 in 5 people say the pandemic has forced them to delay their retirement or no longer retire at all.  The study also found that nearly 30 percent of Americans have saved less or stopped saving for retirement all together because they lost their job or another reason.  Nearly 40 percent say they have or will likely withdraw money from their retirement plan.  

The survey also reveals the fact that younger adults have struggled with navigating their finances the most:  62 percent of millennials and 51 percent of Gen Xers say the pandemic has made their finances more complicated and is forcing them to re-think the priorities in their lives.  On the other hand, just 27 percent of baby boomers say they are facing financial challenges.

In another survey conducted by Pew Research, the picture was even more bleak:

1 in 4 adults say they have trouble paying their monthly bills. 35 percent of adults ages 18 to 29 and 30 percent of those ages 30 to 49 say they have had trouble paying their bills. This compares with 22 percent of those ages 50 to 64 and 10 percent of those 65 and older. 

1 in 6 adults say they have borrowed money from family or friends or gotten food from a food bank. 

Blacks make up 40 percent of those who say they used money from their savings or retirement to pay monthly household expenses, compared to just 29 percent of whites.

28 percent of Blacks said they had problems paying their rent or mortgage, compared to 11 percent of whites.   

Some economists are saying it could take up to four years to fully recover from the pandemic.  What do you think?  Do you think we'll ever fully recover?

When will Confidence Against COVID be Restored

Will we ever return to "business as usual" since the invasion of COVID-19 more than a year ago?  According to a new Pew Research Center survey nearly 60 percent of Americans believe it will take a  more than a year before most businesses, schools, churches, etc., return to what they were prior to the pandemic.  

Although more than four million businesses received emergency loans from the Small Business Association (SBA), a study conducted by researchers at Harvard Business School and The University of Chicago indicates over 100 thousand small businesses have closed their doors forever.  Meanwhile, the Pew Research Center study shows that only 16 percent believe businesses will be able to bounce back in 6 months to a year.   A whopping 81 percent believe it will take a year or more for the job market to recover.

When you examine the study along gender, racial, income status, and political lines, it reveals the following:

60% of women believe it could take two or more years to return to some sense of normalcy, compare to 53 percent of men.  

64% of Black Americans believe it will take longer than a year to resume a normal life, compared to 56% for Asians and 51% for Hispanics.  

People in the upper income brackets are the most optimistic about when life will return to normal.  49% believe the country will get back to business as usual in 6 months to a year compared to 43 percent of people who fall into the middle income bracket and 40% for lower income.

Republicans account for 44% of people who think it will take more than two years for jobs to return in comparison to 26% of Democrats. (Wonder how different these numbers would be in Trump were still in office)?    

It's been over a year now since we've been dealing with the pandemic that has taken more than 500 thousand lives.  Personally, I don't want us to return to "business as usual."  I want to see us grow from this mess and implement new strategies to avoid a similar disaster in the future.  Perhaps it means getting rid of ELECTED OFFICIALS on the local, state and national levels to make that happen.  What do you think? 

New Survey Says Millennials are Feeling the Pressure of Adulthood

It's been awhile since I came across a survey that caught my attention but I just found one that was commissioned and released by by Farm Rich .  No surprise that there was a generational divide when it comes to exactly what it means to be an "adult."    

The new national survey indicates millennials put more pressure on themselves to reach adulthood as compared to baby boomers and GenX.  After the age of 26, millennials believe it becomes embarrassing if they aren't classified as full-fledged adults.  

So exactly what does it mean to reach that level  of "maturity"?   The top 10 signs according to the survey are:

1. Having a budget (55 percent)
2. Buying a house (54 percent)
3. Filing your own taxes (52 percent)
4. Understanding and monitoring your credit score (48 percent)
5. Investing in your 401(k) (46 percent)
6. Doing your own laundry (43 percent)
7. Scheduling regular doctors' appointments (38 percent)
8. Making a list to take when going to the grocery store (35 percent)
9. Cooking dinner most of Monday through Friday (33 percent)
10. Watching the nightly news (31 percent)

I wasn't a part of this survey but, for the record, I only do four of the above consistently.  How about you?

A couple of other interesting notes:

1:  When asked what's considered to be the "favorite" age in life, the average millennial said they'd like to be 23 for the rest of their lives, while baby boomers said 32.  

2:  Millennials believe frozen foods are a staple in the kitchen of adults and having vegetables, fruits and coffee are the top foods you need if you want to call yourself an adult.

So what is your reaction to this survey?  Do you agree with its findings?

Who's Your Mommy?

I am the mother of one daughter, but over the years I've added more children along the way....or should I say they adopted me as their "other "mom."  It seems that I am part of a new trend for millennials who declare that they have more than one person they think of as a mother figure.  

According to a recent survey conducted by Edible Arrangements®, although millennials consider their mother to be their primary mother figure (87%), they are more likely to have more "other mothers" than older generations.  Meanwhile,  44% of Americans ages 18 to 54 have three or more mother figures in their lives, and one in five (20%) say they have five or more. Of the "other mother" figures, friends account for  36%; while grandmothers and mothers-in-laws are tied at 22%.

What wasn't revealed by Edible Arrangements® in this survey are some of the reasons WHY someone would look to another person as a mother figure.  

Here's a perspective from Don Smithmeier:

It’s not about them being better or worse than our mothers, it’s the fact that they are different and that they are additive. The only thing greater than having a mom is having a Second Mom, too. What a gift.

Second Moms show us another version of parenting. Whether it’s the way they enforce the rules, the way they speak to their kids and spouse, or even the way they make their grilled cheese sandwiches, it’s all just different than our First Mom.

Second Moms give a second set of ears and eyes and arms. They teach us. They nurture us.

I, too, have a woman I look at as my second mother.  Although she already had six children of her own, she took me in and treated me as child #7.  She helped nurture me and even scolded me---all in the name of LOVE.

Happy Mother's Day Mama Jackson!

Who's your second mommy?

Given how many "other mothers" people identify and in honor of the important roles they play, Edible® is offering Buy 2 Get 1 Free box and arrangement deals for Mother's Day.

Survey Says More Black Men Favor Donald Trump

To be perfectly honest, I had to read this survey over a few times to make sure I was reading it correctly.  You see, I truly have a hard time believing any black man, other than Ben Carson and  Pastors Mark Burns and Darrell Scott, would come out and give a favorable reaction to Donald Trump's first year in the White House.

One simple question was asked in the survey conducted by SurveyMonkey:

Do you approve or disapprove of the way Donald Trump is handling his job as President?

• Strongly approve
• Somewhat approve
• Somewhat disapprove
• Strongly disapprove

Then you were asked to support your answer with a comment.

According to an article written in The Atlantic, the survey involved more than 600,000 people--although there is no actual breakdown of how many of those interviewed were black.  That is probably part of the problem.  Without knowing the number of black participants, there is no way to get accurate insight.  For example, if only 100 blacks participated and 20 of them said they somewhat approve, that can be interpreted as favorable.

Among African Americans and Hispanics, reactions to Trump depend more on gender than age or education. In every age group, and at every level of education, about twice as many African American men as women gave Trump positive marks. In all, 23 percent of black men approved of Trump’s performance versus 11 percent of black women....black men are one of the few groups for which Trump’s 2017 average approval rating significantly exceeds his 2016 vote share.  From The Atlantic article.

The point is 23 percent of black men who gave Trump a favorable rating for SurveyMonkey OUTNUMBERS the 8 percent support he received from ALL blacks during the November 2016 election.  But once again, it's 23 percent of what????????

Personally, I think this survey is misleading and serves no real purpose in determining how Black America feels about a man who has publicly humiliated them at every turn.  If there are black men out here  (other than the ones mentioned above) who really believe Trump has done a decent job in representing ALL Americans, I invite them to leave a comment on this blog post to state your case.  I always welcome different points of view because, after all, I am a journalist.

Here's another telling statistic from the survey:

In the 2016 election, exit polls indicated Trump's strongest base were non-college educated whites at 66 percent.  In 2017, their support, according to SurveyMonkey, has dropped to 56 percent. And among white Millennials, his disapproval rating is a whopping 76 percent!

Survey says Christmas is about the Experience not the Gifts

If there's a survey out somewhere, you can believe I'll find it and share it----like this one on what Americans say they want for Christmas.

E-X-P-E-R-I-E-N-C-E!  Yes, according to a report released by IfOnly, an overwhelming 81 percent of respondents said they preferred an "experience" over any other type of gift.  

Okay, so the next question is, what kind of experience?  

39 percent said go on a helicopter tour
32 percent said go on a private tour of a museum
27 percent said pet a panda at the zoo

But get this:  36 percent of those who took the survey said they would rather spend the holiday with a wild animal than with their in-laws.  

75 percent of Millennials said they would do anything in exchange for an incredible experience while nearly half of those surveyed said they would give up an hour of sleep for the entire holiday season to have an incredible experience instead of receiving a gift certificate.

And for those of you who have been complaining about lack of intimacy in the bedroom with your significant other......47 percent said they would be more likely to have sex if they received an experience instead of a material gift.  So I guess my question here is:  "Would that experience include whips, chains and handcuffs?"  LOL!


This survey was conducted by Kelton Global on behalf of IfOnly, which refers to itself as the "marketplace for unique experiences...aims to deepen human connection by creating life-changing memories."

There's a Survey for Thanksgiving

Another survey has come out and this one is just in time for Thanksgiving.  Delta Dental has come out with its Third Annual Thanksgiving pie survey.

The number one pie enjoyed by families across America is pumpkin once again.  Thirty-six percent of those surveyed favored it over pecan pie, which came in a distant second at 17 percent. 

In other survey results,pumpkin pie is enjoyed most in the West and least in the South.  That's not a surprising statistic because Southerners love their sweet potato pies loaded with lots and lots of sugar.  A dentist's dream.

Apple pie came in third with 14 percent, followed by sweet potato at 10 percent, chocolate 9 percent, lemon meringue 4 percent, blueberry and cherry tied at 3 percent and strawberry at 2 percent.

Of course, while this survey may or may not be relevant, Delta Dental's message is that whatever pie you eat this holiday season that you "remember to take the time to brush and floss away the sugary remnants."

Good advice.

This Survey Stinks for Baby Boomers

The majority of baby boomers do not wash their underwear enough!  That's what an online survey by Mulberry Cleaners revealed recently.  The results were published in Reader's Digest.

I have to admit I was very surprised to read the results, which indicated 16 percent of middle-aged folks reported NEVER washing their underwear.  Now, 16 percent may not sound like a large number but that's still 16 percent too many, in comparison to 85 percent of millennials who said they toss their undergarments in the laundry after one or two wears.  Only 10.3 percent of millennial women said they never washed theirs, which might make sense if these young women had parents who were enablers and never taught them to do much of anything, especially how to wash clothes.

When it comes to washing bed sheets, 43 percent of women said they wash them every week, compared to seven percent of men who said they had washed their sheets only once in six months.  But even worse than that is the fact that 12 percent of the men surveyed said they couldn't even remember the last time they washed their bedding.  Let's hope, for their sake, they were in a drunken stupor when they took the survey.

About 1000 people participated.

As far as the dirty underwear goes, my question is, why wear any at all if you're not going to wash them?

Millennial Parents are Worried about Keeping a Clean House Among Other Things

Money, health, family, safety, time, and the future are some of the things Millennial parents say they are worried about as they take their rightful places in adulthood and parenting.  In a new study by Microban, Millennials, some who now have children of their own, were asked to share the top concerns they have.

The number one worry for millennial parents is money.  Ninety-two percent agreed that being financially secure was an issue for them and their families.  That not only means having more money but also a better paying job and a home equity line of credit.

Another issue for Millennial parents is not having enough time to to the things they want to.  An overwhelming number say they would prefer to spend more time with their family (especially their mates) and friends but often times their schedules are busy and demanding.  When they do have a little bit of down time, the parents find their homes taking a back seat.  Seventy-four percent agree they are worried about keeping a clean house.

So what are baby boomer parents worried about?

1)  Having enough savings to retire

2)  When and if they can afford to stop working

3)  Their children having enough to live on

4)  Living a long, HEALTHY life

5)  Dementia





About the Survey

Microban, in conjunction with Turner Research Network, surveyed 1039 Millennials age 20 to 35 with at least one child age 13 or under living at their home online.

The "Terrible Ten" List

Being a baby boomer in the workplace can be very challenging. Why? Well, for one reason you have young-know-it-alls who come in and immediately get promoted over you. Then you have younger bosses who want to belittle you because you don't have the up-to-date technical skills they feel is necessary in order to do the same job you've been doing efficiently without them. Then you have downright DISCRIMINATION based on age, sex or race.

What gets on your last nerve when it comes to your workplace environment? What makes your skin crawl when dealing with the general public?

Johns Hopkins University teamed up with the University of Baltimore to find out what people thought about rude behavior and came up with a “Terrible Ten” List. 615 people were surveyed. See if your list matches theirs.

The complete list of "Terrible Ten" behaviors:

1. Discrimination in an employment situation.
2. Erratic/aggressive driving that endangers others.
3. Taking credit for someone else’s work.
4. Treating service providers as inferiors.
5. Jokes or remarks that mock another’s race/gender/age/disability/sexual preference or religion.
6. Children who behave aggressively or who bully others.
7. Littering (including trash, spitting, pet waste).
8. Misuse of handicapped privileges.
9. Smoking in non-smoking places or smoking in front of non-smokers without asking.
10. Using cell phones or text messaging in mid-conversation or during an appointment or meeting.

You see, this is EXACTLY why I’m so glad I work for myself these days!!!

What irks you?