It's Time To Invest In Your Employee's Mental Health

How to create a supportive work culture that can help boost your employees' mental health

In a time when work-life balance continues to be of high priority to most workers, it's never been more important for businesses to be invested in mental health and wellness benefits for their people. The good news is that we're seeing progress! A recent 2022 survey of more than 450 companies shows that 86% of businesses have increased paid time off, 79% provide mental health support resources and even 30% are creating "no meetings" days to reduce burnout and, in some cases, prevent.
 

Here are a few additional benefits organizations can consider:
 

• Host an employee event by leveraging your insurance carriers, mental health providers, or EAPs. Companies can help employees understand the resources available to them by conducting an overview of mental health offerings. Despite even the best communication efforts, employees are not always aware of all company services and benefit plans. It is important to set aside a designated time for employees to learn all the company's available options. Providing employees with their list of options and benefits throughout the year allows employees to feel more confident as they decide which options are best for them and their families.

 

• Partner with your Learning & Development or HR teams to talk to employees about career well-being. An often-overlooked stressor is career growth itself. Employees need to feel fulfilled in their job. They want to know their job equips them with the resources and opportunities to build a prosperous future for themselves and their families. A career well-being event that teaches employees how to balance work and social life and get the best out of their current job is crucial to mental well-being. 

 

• Organize meditation and mindfulness events that give employees a breather. Amid high-stress work environments, employers should be looking for opportunities to reduce employee stress levels. When left unmanaged, stress can lead to burnout or chronic stress. Meditation is a simplistic way to help alleviate built-up tension with positive side effects like enhancing decision-making skills and allowing for better concentration. 

 

• Try something outside of the box, like a nutrition or cooking workshop around feel-good foods. Employees spend a large portion of their day on the go, making sure to attend meetings, complete assignments and prepare for presentations. This can be problematic as it takes away from a conscious focus on what they ingest daily. Brain and body function are intrinsically connected to the food we intake. Hosting a 45-minute cooking workshop is a great way to unwind while giving employees time to partake in self-care. 

 

• Host a financial well-being workshop that focuses on reducing financial-related stress (budgeting, savings, etc.) Every employee should have peace of mind about personal finance matters. As money woes have shown to be one of the top employee concerns, incorporating a financial wellness plan into your company's well-being strategy can reduce anxiety and depression, raise concentration levels, and increase creativity and problem-solving skills.

 

• Lastly, think about a philanthropic opportunity to give back. It has been proven that volunteering can lower blood pressure and stress levels. Volunteering provides a sense of purpose and appreciation which can have a stress-reducing effect. By focusing on others instead of your personal problems, you can begin to counteract the feelings of pent-up stress, anxiety, or anger.  

The workplace will never return to the state that it once was – but that doesn't have to be a bad thing. The above ideas are just a few that employers can leverage to help employees live their best lives. Now is the time to invest in mental health and wellness by leveraging benefits and creating a supportive work culture that can help boost your employees' mental health and, in turn, lead to further business success. 

Kaleana Quibell is the Vice President of Wellbeing and Platform Partners at Sequoia, where she helps clients and employees to come through for the various needs of their people. She has more than 10 years of experience in the Total Rewards sector, with a background in recruiting and onboarding, benefits and human resources, and employee wellbeing program design. Connect Kaleana Quibell