5 Steps To Enhancing Employee Well-Being Through Voluntary Benefits

Practical approaches to integrating mental and physical health support

 

Supporting a healthy, active, and tenured workforce is a priority for HR business leadership. While the workplace has evolved in recent years since the Covid-19 pandemic, and new trends and challenges have emerged, the importance of keeping employees engaged has never changed.
 
More than ever, promoting a supportive workplace culture means addressing both physical and mental well-being. In fact, according to a 2023 survey by the American Psychological Association, 92 percent of employed adults indicated that it is very or somewhat important for a company to value their emotional and psychological well-being. At Alkermes, we are committed to ensuring industry-leading access to core health and wellness benefits, as well as added protection offered by voluntary benefits. Supporting the well-being of all employees, including those living with mental health conditions or serious mental illness, presents a natural extension of Alkermes’ corporate commitment to helping people living with complex and difficult-to-treat psychiatric and neurological disorders. 

A comprehensive benefits approach that prioritizes mental health and well-being assures access to essential resources, such as confidential counseling services, crisis support, substance use support, and treatment options. It integrates mental health awareness and education in new hire onboarding, ongoing internal communications, and targeted campaigns. To promote a healthy, productive, and engaged workforce, we’ve structured our voluntary benefits program around several key areas: mental and physical health, social and financial well-being, and connection to the community.
 
Here are five elements we found that are essential to a successful program.

To ensure that employees have greater access to support through an EAP provider, look for a partner with a track record of addressing a wide range of employee concerns, such as depression, anxiety, and relationships, along with legal and financial counseling. It’s important to identify a partner that can be helpful in a crisis and offer employees, employers, and family members the support they need during a difficult time. The EAP provider can also facilitate confidential counseling services for employees and family members.
 
In addition, consider eliminating maximums for how many EAP counseling sessions team members can access. Challenging life events often present unexpectedly, and the time and type of help needed will vary by individual. By setting an expansive EAP policy, employees can rest assured that they have access to the guidance and support they need as their circumstances evolve.

Along with a strong EAP, foster a solid internal benefits infrastructure that offers personalized support to employees and can help them navigate the myriad of resources at their disposal. This team should also be able to respond quickly to an employee in crisis who needs immediate support and can also follow up with the employee to ensure they received needed and desired help.
 
Another approach is to facilitate employee resource groups (ERGs). At Alkermes, five employee-led ERGs based on shared identities and/or interests, each with a common purpose of building community, provide opportunities for professional development and networking, and have a positive impact on our culture and our business. These groups include:
 

Offer health insurance coverage that encompasses an inclusive range of mental health professionals, settings of care and treatment options. For example, include access to psychologists, psychiatrists, and social workers to meet team members’ unique needs. Integrate both in-person therapy and virtual counseling sessions into benefits packages to accommodate variable work and personal commitments. Scale coverage availability for a variety of treatment options and medication management. At Alkermes, we work every day to support patients living with mental health and substance abuse disorders, so making sure our health plans cover treatment programs, counseling, and other complementary modalities is important to us.
 
Further, consider removing barriers to mental health care by reimbursing employees and covered family members for apps like Calm and Headspace. Be proactive in benefits design to establish reasonable co-pays, which are consistent with co-pays across coverage tiers, so individuals know what their standard out-of-pocket costs will be. This signals to employees that mental and physical health are treated with equal importance. 

When onboarding new employees, ensure they are informed about the breadth of available programs and resources, including EAP and health plan features. Partner with internal communications to reinforce the voluntary benefits offered and increase awareness of and engagement with the available resources. 
 
Encourage attendance at company events, such as webinars and in-person gatherings, that share information about mental health self-care strategies. Highlight EAP content and toolkits and plan activities around specific awareness months. Alcohol Awareness Month, Mental Health Awareness Month, and World Mental Health Day provide opportunities for employers to share information about mental health and mental health resources, helping to emphasize the importance of taking care of their health and understanding others’ experiences while also helping to reduce stigma. 
 
Offer onsite and virtual sessions for employees and family members for a range of mental health education and activities, including mindfulness, health coaching, personal training, preventing burnout, crisis intervention, resiliency, yoga, nutrition, and counseling – activities that enable employees to invest in their mental health while reinforcing organizational precedent for the commitment.
 
The value of awareness is immeasurable. Employees will be more likely to utilize the available benefits if they know it is offered, how to access it, and that its use is encouraged when circumstances arise. 

During an employee’s tenure with your organization, they may experience different life events, both good and challenging — marriage, the birth of a child, divorce, a spouse losing a job, a death in the family, a mental illness diagnosis for the employee or a loved one, or retirement. Have the right resources available for employees and caregivers to help manage events throughout the different stages of their lives and careers.
 
Be aware that this may extend to employees who find themselves in the role of caretaker, either of an elder or younger family member. Caretaking can impose a toll on mental and physical well-being and should be acknowledged in benefits planning.

The downstream benefits of appropriate, timely support to both employers and employees are substantial. Comprehensive wellness programs can help manage healthcare costs by addressing concerns early and can moderate employee turnover while boosting company-wide morale. A wide variety of voluntary benefits equips a responsive company to meet the diverse needs of its employees, fostering an environment of diversity, inclusion, and belonging. 
 
Supporting the physical and mental well-being of employees in a comprehensive and integrated way is not just the right thing to do - these efforts have a very real business impact.  According to an Oxford University study, employees are more productive when they are happy. Employees who feel supported, valued and taken care of perform better, which in turn can help foster a competitive advantage in attracting and retaining top talent.
 
Further, leadership’s role in cultivating a workplace culture prioritizing mental health cannot be overstated. When employees see their leaders actively participating in their own well-being and nurturing their mental – and physical – health, it signals to the employees that it’s encouraged for them to do so. It also helps reduce the stigma often associated with mental health challenges and may make people more likely to ask for help.
 
There are important and necessary sensitivities in fostering an organizational culture that encourages dialogue about mental health, work-life balance, and employee well-being. While discussion of these topics will always be protected by privacy and confidentiality requirements, it is encouraging to see how proactive, inclusive voluntary benefits planning can soften some of the stigma around mental well-being in the workplace. 
 
Employers play a pivotal role in helping to generate the conditions that promote team members’ wellness. By embracing a comprehensive voluntary benefits program, it is possible to support and nurture employees’ overall well-being while together reaching shared goals for our business and, importantly for Alkermes, the patients we serve.