Our latest research finds that the vast majority of organizations (92%) offer mental health benefits. However, a significant disparity exists between intention and execution, with only 43% of organizations considering themselves adept at effectively aiding employees with mental health-related issues.

This raises a critical question: How can organizations transform their good intentions into tangible actions that truly make a difference in their employees' lives?
 

Our research aims to answer this question by uncovering the strategies and solutions needed to bridge this gap and create workplaces that prioritize the mental health and resilience of every individual.

KEY FINDINGS

• Organizations have gotten much better at addressing mental health issues over the last 5 years, but there is still room for improvement.
• Organizations continue to use EAPs to spearhead their mental health offerings; however, a plurality are looking into other offerings.
• Most organizations have employees who suffer from stress, but only a minority are good at helping their employees address stress issues.
• A majority of managers lack the training to mitigate common work-related stresses.
• Only a minority of organizations are measuring the mental health and stress levels of the workforce, making it difficult to gauge the success of initiatives.

Mental Health and Stress-related Issues in Today’s Workplaces

Poor employee mental health has increasingly become a concern for employers. Therefore, when we asked HR professionals if their organization offers mental health benefits, it was no surprise that 92% of organizations provide some form of mental health support. Before organizations can address employee mental health issues, they need to understand which issues are most common among their workforce. Our study found that HR professionals believe the top wellness concerns to be:
 

• Stress (92%)
• Anxiety (88%)
• Burnout (81%)
• Depression (69%)

HR should have an action plan to address these issues, as employees experiencing one of these problems may also be dealing with other concerns.

We asked respondents about the top three causes of employee stress outside the organization. Financial concerns emerged as the most prevalent external cause, affecting 81% of employees. Childcare issues were the second leading cause of stress, affecting 44% of employees, and healthcare concerns were the third most cited factor, affecting 42% of employees.

Organizations’ Role in Addressing Employees’ Mental Health Issues

Our findings reveal a mixed bag when it comes to how well organizations support employee mental health. Over half (54%) of HR professionals agree or strongly agree that their organization excels at helping employees tackle mental health issues. However, about a quarter (26%) remain neutral, and more concerningly, one in five actively disagrees, indicating that their organization falls short in addressing stress-related problems. What triggers employee stress within organizations? The primary culprit is workload demands, with 63% of employees struggling to keep up. No wonder eight in ten employees report burnout, often a direct consequence of heavy workloads.
Additionally, nearly half (47%) grapple with work-life balance issues, and 38% cite inadequate staffing and resources as major stressors—both closely tied to overwhelming workload demands.

Barriers to Minimizing Employee Stress

While many organizations have implemented measures to improve work-life balance, 51% still normalize high-stress levels, considering them typical or acceptable in the workplace.

Additionally, 45% of organizations lack awareness about the problem. Without a culture that supports addressing mental health issues, employees may not feel psychologically safe.

Common Mental Health Measures and Methods

Mental health and stress can often be difficult to measure. Employees may hesitate to disclose their mental health struggles or stressors due to fear of stigma, privacy concerns, or potential repercussions in the workplace.

Companies can derive great benefits from employee surveys. In fact, of those who measure mental health, about two-thirds (66%) say they use surveys.

Over half also use:
 

• employee engagement rates (58%)
• one-on-one conversations (54%)
• absenteeism rates (51%)

What Can Mental Health Service Vendors Do Better?

We found that six in 10 organizations want vendors to offer products that improve employee engagement and employee usage rates. A majority (54%) also want better communication.

Additionally, 40% desire more diverse therapists that match the population. This reflects a growing recognition that personal identification and cultural competence are crucial in mental healthcare.

For deeper insights into how organizations can effectively address employee mental health and stress, and for key takeaways, download the complete report.
 
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