Men's Health At Work: A Silent Threat To Culture And Productivity

Forbes

9 hours ago

Men's health in the workplace is a silent issue brewing.
In Corporate America, you'll rarely hear male leaders admit they "need a break" or openly ask for help. Yet behind the scenes, many high-performing men are silently burning out, neglecting their well-being, and pushing onward until something breaks. Men's health is lagging behind that of women.
As of 2023, U.S. men live, on average, 5.3 years fewer than women—75.8 years compared to 81.1. As it pertains to the workplace, according to the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, psychological distress in men drives $8,432 per person annually in presenteeism losses and $2,796 in absenteeism, which is double the impact seen in women.
June may be Men's Health Month, but for corporate America, men's health needs a 365-day focus. The cost of ignoring it is significant: diminished productivity, increasing healthcare claims, leadership attrition, and untapped potential not realized. Addressing this requires reframing men's health and how organizations approach performance, well-being, and leadership sustainability, starting with these three foundational shifts.
Rest Doesn't Equate To Weakness Or Lower Ambition
In many high-pressure environments, rest is viewed as a luxury or, worse, a risk. Taking a break can feel like you're falling behind. This mentality quietly undermines leaders' ability to operate at their highest level.
Just as athletes suffer when recovery is skipped, so too do executives. When rest and circadian-aligned living are neglected, judgment erodes, creativity stagnates, and leaders become reactive rather than responsive. As burnout and retention strategist Chazz Scott shared, "Most people can't say, 'I took a break today and still felt successful.'" That quiet guilt, he noted, is deeply embedded in many male leaders and often stems from inherited beliefs that rest equals weakness.
However, the reality is the opposite. Rest, recovery, and restoration aren't the enemies of ambition. Instead, they're essential components of your optimal performance infrastructure. Ignoring these pillars doesn't just affect the leader; it affects everyone downstream. Leaders can build systems and cultures that support performance and recovery through:
Well-Being Isn't A One-Size-Fits-All Equation
There's been a much-needed shift toward prioritizing well-being in the workplace. However, most initiatives still fall short. While meditation apps and fitness challenges are well-intentioned, they often miss the mark, especially for male leaders navigating unique physiological, cultural, and socioeconomic stressors.
Health risks are not distributed equally. Black men, for instance, face significantly higher rates of hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and chronic stress, regardless of income level or professional title. Potential reasoning for this is, in some circles, attributed to what researchers call the weathering effect: the cumulative toll of enduring racialized stress over time, which accelerates biological aging and worsens long-term health outcomes.
As Justin Grant, author of Company Men: A Wellness Guide for Black Men in Corporate America, shares, the higher Black men rise in corporate spaces, the more likely they are to experience anxiety, isolation, and declining health. And they're not alone. Latino, Asian, and even first-generation professionals each face distinct challenges that generic wellness programs don't address. A more precise and culturally strong wellness strategy might start with:
Guard Your Mind And Don't Marginalize Yourself
For many male leaders, performance and identity become inseparable. Output becomes an ever-growing proxy for self-worth. Titles become personalities. And over time, the line between the person and position blurs. In this environment, mental health isn't just about managing stress. It's about preserving a sturdy sense of self. As Scott noted, when leaders operate in emotional isolation, they lose what he calls "social capital": the trust, rapport, and influence required for meaningful and effective leadership.
The health risks are serious. A study published in World Psychiatry found that isolation and a lack of social support increase the risk of burnout, anxiety, depression, and PTSD in professionals—no amount of success or compensation shields against this erosion.
High performance doesn't require abandoning your identity. Yet many men, in pursuit of growth and achievement, entirely sacrifice their hobbies, passions, and relationships, only to arrive at the top with fractured lives. Leaders rooted in their identity and a strong sense of self, rather than just achievement and accolades, tend to be more resilient. Organizations can support this by:
Men's Health in Corporate America
Men's health struggles don't show up on quarterly reports until it's too late. By then, they've already surfaced as stalled leadership pipelines, costly turnover, disengaged teams, and declining innovation. High-performing men aren't immune to exhaustion, disconnection, or identity loss. They're often the most skilled at hiding it. When that happens, companies not only lose talent but also trust, longevity, and untapped potential. Much like women's health, the well-being of your male leaders isn't just a personal matter; it's a business imperative. And it's also key to winning the future of work.