Building a positive and open culture around mental health so employees feel comfortable to speak out and address concerns must be a priority. (Photo: Shutterstock)
Awareness and activity around mental health has been growing in the past several years, and never more so than each May during Mental Health Awareness month. This is a great time for employers to consider whether their mental health strategy, benefits and support systems are fit for purpose. One in five adults in the U.S. will suffer from a mental health condition during his or her lifetime.
The impact of mental health on the workplace has real-time effects on every employee, from absenteeism to presenteeism to lower productivity, and has repercussions on their wellness and life outside of work. U.S. employers are losing an estimated $225.8 billion each year due to employee stress, anxiety, depression and other mental health conditions.
In the last few years, there has been a positive move towards acknowledging the need for more mental health support in the workplace. It's now considered the next frontier for organizations to incorporate into their benefits programs as it relates to the significant life events that we all experience during our careers. For example, Adobe provides an extensive employee assistance program that offers a range of services including counseling, relationship support and CareKits during pregnancy. These benefits aim to reduce stress by supporting employees in areas outside of work from paid time off and childcare benefits to parental leave.
Each individual deals differently with stressors such as chronic injury and illness, financial obligations or the loss of a loved one. Organizations need to understand the importance of supporting their employees outside of traditional health care benefits, recognizing mental health benefits as a core element of a preventative strategy.
The modern workplace calls for advanced mental well-being benefits
There is great and positive momentum in normalizing the concept of mental health but there's still work that needs to be done, and companies can help take the first step. We surveyed more than 2,200 employees from multinational organizations and found that 57 percent of employees want help in improving their mental well-being, yet only 23 percent of employers offer to support them in doing so. It's clear that employees are calling out for these benefits, but their voices aren't yet being heard.
Mental health needs to be a priority from the top-down
Supporting employees with mental health goes beyond just benefits. Building a positive and open culture around mental health so employees feel comfortable to speak out and address concerns must be a priority. Creating an environment in which Executives lead by example will help create a supportive environment across the organization.
Leadership have a massive role to play in promoting mental health, from large to small initiatives, such as taking time away from your desk to recharge, setting work-life boundaries or using techniques like mindfulness and breathing exercises. American Express' award-winning mental health program, 'Healthy Minds' provides employees with access to part-time counselors and a clinical psychologist to run the employee assistance program.
Technology is key
After recognizing that mental health benefits make up an essential part of a well-being strategy, business leaders need to make sure the benefits program they have in place is making an impact. Employee data can help businesses understand which benefits have the largest take up, while identifying gaps and provisions that need to be changed or improved.
Employees may also not feel entirely comfortable discussing their mental health with their managers, so easily accessible and engaging technology can help plug that gap. Not only can employees access accurate information to see what options they have or where to go for help, but there are also a huge number of emerging apps that cater specifically to promoting mental well-being.
Creating a workplace that prioritizes mental health not only improves quality of life, but also contributes to a more successful and productive organization. Mental health is a universal need, with every individual requiring differing levels of support. Organizations should and can meet their employees' needs by recognizing that mental health is a priority and ensuring that wide-ranging support is built into their benefits plans as standard.
Matt Jackson is vice president of proposition and client solutions at Thomsons Online Benefits.
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