5 Ways to Support Employees’ Mental Health
Rebecca Morris
More employees are leaving their jobs for mental health reasons than ever before. Since 2020, 50% of employees have left roles due to declining mental health, with Millennials (68%) and Gen Z (81%) most impacted. While the work-from-home era has introduced new stressors to employees’ lives, it has also made accessing mental health care easier than ever, thanks to the proliferation of mindfulness apps and online therapy.
In honor of Mental Health Awareness month, we put together innovative ways employers can help support employees’ mental health.
Stress Management Resources
The pandemic only exacerbated the stress employees are facing, both at work and in other aspects of their lives. Nearly two-thirds of employees say they are stressed all or most of the time at work and Willis Towers Watson found that employers’ biggest well-being challenges are rising stress and burnout, and higher mental health-related claims. Stress not only can lead to lower workplace productivity and engagement but also adverse health effects, increased missed workdays, and higher healthcare costs. As a result, more employers are looking to implement stress management programs focused on guiding employees on how to cope with life’s challenges.
Financial Wellness
Finances are the number one source of stress for Americans, with 65% of employees reporting that they’re stressed about their finances and 53% of Americans saying financial stress negatively impacts their mental health. For these reasons, financial wellness solutions are rising in demand. 82% of employees say they want support and guidance from their employers on personal finances. There is also an increasing sense of employer responsibility to address these concerns. According to a Bank of America Workplace Benefits report, 62% of companies feel extreme responsibility for their employees’ financial well-being. Financial wellness programs can come in many forms including financial education, digital budgeting and tracking tools, investment capabilities, student loan assistance, and access to financial planners.
Complementary Mental Health Offerings
While many health insurers have started to cover mental health services, they haven’t been moving fast enough to keep up with employee demand. That means companies are left to patch together services and figure out what employees urgently need. Depending on what’s available under your group health plan, you may want to consider supplementing the plan’s mental health offering with an Employee Assistance Program (EAP), meditation apps, or mindfulness training. When possible, provide free access to mental health professionals via phone and/or in-person and make it easy for employees to know where to go to access mental health resources.
Mental Health Days
Mental health days are days employees can take off to focus on their well-being. Mental health days may be used for a variety of reasons, but the main purpose is to encourage employees to take time to care for themselves. Some companies are even implementing company-wide mental health breaks to ensure all employees have the opportunity to truly disconnect and recharge without the pressure of checking email or doing other work during this time.
Workplace Culture
The workplace factors most likely to lead employees to leave their jobs are emotionally draining work, lack of work-life balance, poor communication and feelings of isolation. Employers must address these issues systemically and ensure that workloads are sustainable. While mental health days and improved access to mental health services is a move in the right direction, that alone is not enough. Promoting autonomy, establishing boundaries, and creating norms around communication and responsiveness can go a long way toward building a mentally healthy culture.
Employers can enable all employees to thrive by offering benefits and support structures that address rising stress and mental health challenges. Building a workplace culture with a robust employee benefits program can go a long way in creating a happy and healthy workplace.
