"At a time when there are a multitude of issues impacting employees, it is more important than ever that employers offer proactive and preventative support."
- Nick Homer, head of market management at Zurich Corporate Risk
Employment worries are growing amidst a tight labour market. According to Zurich Corporate Risk, the volume of calls to its employee assistance helpline regarding redundancy concerns has risen by 39% year-on-year, with work relationship issues jumping 118% in 2024.
Childcare-related calls have increased by 31% and eldercare by 41%, reflecting rising care burdens and costs. The number of calls about partners has risen by 16%, and family-related concerns are up 4%.
Meanwhile, calls about neurodiversity and diagnosed mental health conditions have increased by 13% and 44%, respectively.
Nick Homer, head of market management at Zurich Corporate Risk, said, "Our data shows that poor mental health is still the main reason employees are calling helplines, with anxiety the number one call category for the fourth year running. But we can see that other issues are emerging in response to labour market uncertainty and the rising cost of caregiving responsibilities.
"At a time when there are a multitude of issues impacting employees, it is more important than ever that employers offer proactive and preventative support."
