Supporting the human side of the workplace

New and emerging areas of focus are transforming how we approach and support mental health in the workplace. Key areas of concern include youth mental health, financial stress, substance use disorders and workplace stress — with a growing emphasis on the pressures faced by managers.

Mental health in the workplace has become a top priority for employers of all sizes. However, there is often a disconnect between how employers perceive their mental health offerings and how employees experience them. For instance, while 48% of large employers report they've increased mental health resources in the past year, 22% of employees at the manager level report that they don't know whether their employer offers mental health benefits and 45% don't know how to access mental health care through employer-sponsored health insurance.

Investing in comprehensive mental health benefits can yield significant returns, including reduced healthcare claims costs, lower absenteeism and improved productivity and performance.


An effective benefits program emphasizes three critical areas to support employee well-being: prevention, early support and access, and treatment and healing.

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Prevention: Fostering resilience and promoting proactive care

Preventing mental health challenges before they escalate helps reduce absenteeism, enhance productivity and lower long-term costs. In fact, for every $1 invested in mental health support, employers are seeing a $4 return.

Employee assistance programs (EAPs) have long been a preventive tool for employers. These workplace-based intervention programs are designed to assist employees in addressing personal challenges. However, despite their availability and low cost, traditional EAPs often experience low utilization rates among employees, highlighting gaps in access and engagement.

Strategies to consider:

• Enhanced EAPs: Modernize your EAP to include proactive wellness initiatives that address your entire employee population and monitor utilization to identify potential barriers.
• Education and awareness: Destigmatize mental health by launching awareness campaigns during key timeframes, such as Mental Health Awareness Month.
• Technology tools: Provide access to self-care apps, such as Headspace and Calm, to encourage mental health awareness and habits.
• Supportive policies and culture: Reevaluate policies around PTO, mental health days, caregiving support and remote or flexible work schedules.
  

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Early support and access: Resources and training to recognize signs of distress

Timely intervention is critical to addressing mental health challenges before they lead to outcomes like long-term disability claims and prolonged absences from work. By using workplace analytics, digital screening tools and manager training, companies can identify signs of distress early and provide immediate support.

Strategies to consider:

• Analytics and pulse surveys: Use workplace analytics and pulse surveys to track trends in absenteeism, productivity and overall employee well-being. This data can pinpoint areas of concern and inform intervention strategies.
• Digital screening tools: Adopt real-time mental health screening tools to detect early signs of anxiety, depression or burnout.
• Specialized support for at-risk groups: Develop targeted initiatives to provide appropriate care to groups that are more susceptible to mental health challenges, including:
  
  • Employees in high-stress roles, such as managers
  • Caregivers and working parents
  • Neurodiverse employees
  • Employees experiencing financial stress
• Manager training: Train managers to recognize behavioral changes or warning signs of distress, such as withdrawal or irritability, and guide initiating supportive conversations with employees.

Treatment and healing: Removing barriers to care

The rise of virtual health services has made accessing mental health care increasingly convenient. Virtual mental health services offer greater convenience and flexibility, helping to remove barriers to care and encouraging more widespread use by employees while reducing costs to the employer and time away from work.

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Strategies to consider:

• Telehealth services: Expand access to virtual mental health services, including therapy, psychiatry, medication management, support groups, addiction counseling and screenings.
• Integrated platforms: Partner with providers offering in-person and virtual holistic care solutions for proactive mental health needs. 
• Resource simplification: Create a centralized hub for mental health resources to make access easier and less intimidating for employees. 

Role of leaders in fostering mental health

Leaders play a critical role in fostering a work environment that prioritizes mental health and seeks to reduce stress, not add to it.


Organizational leaders must demonstrate their support of mental health in the workplace, not only through communication but also action. Train organizational leaders to create environments where employees feel safe discussing challenges and encourage leaders to model transparency, participate in mental health initiatives, and champion workplace policies that promote employee well-being.  


By proactively addressing mental health, employers can position themselves as leaders in employee well-being. Integrating prevention and early detection, along with intervention and robust treatment options, enhances productivity, reduces absenteeism, lowers costs and builds a positive organizational culture.