The role of mental health in building a better employee wellness program
While access to an onsite fitness facility or lunchtime Bootcamp classes might get your employees’ blood flowing and provide some stress relief, mental health support is an important aspect of employee wellness that should not be overlooked.
We know that each year an estimated 20 percent of Canadian employees will miss more than three workdays as a result of depression, anxiety or other mental health concerns. Additionally, mental health challenges cost the Canadian economy an estimated $15 billion each year — two-thirds of which is paid by employers.
Improved mental health has a direct link to employee productivity, job satisfaction and retention rate. Regardless of the size of your organization, there are many budget-friendly ways to invest in employee mental health through your existing employee wellness plan.
Ways to incorporate mental health into your wellness program
If you are designing a new employee wellness program or enhancing an existing one, there are many ways you can build in components that can make a meaningful difference to employees’ mental health. Here are five strategies to consider:
1. Ask for employee feedback regularly
One of the best ways to understand the mental health needs of your staff and adjust your employee wellness plan is to survey employees on a regular basis. This can help identify the mental health challenges employees are facing, and provide feedback on what supports and tools are making a difference and whether there are any opportunities for improvement.
2. Promote access to mental health services
Ensure your employees are informed about the mental health services available to them through their workplace benefits. If your organization is not currently offering services, explore a solution that is accessible, preventative, and personalizes mental well-being support through therapy, coaching, and on-demand resources and tools.
3. Host mental health coaching workshops
Based on feedback from your staff, offer group coaching sessions or workshops to support their specific needs. For example, if staff identified financial stress as a key issue, organize a workshop or coaching session to provide strategies on how to improve financial well-being. Make sure employees feel supported to take time away from their work to attend these sessions if they happen during office hours.
4. Offer mental well-being activities
Just like you might offer a Bootcamp class during lunch, you can promote mental health in the same way. Set up opportunities to improve mental well-being through yoga or meditation classes, or even a fun workplace mental health challenge. Another way to promote mental health activities is to create a designated mental health room where employees can go if they are feeling stressed or overwhelmed during the workday.
5. Provide employees with mental health days
Another way to prevent burnout and destigmatize mental health in the workplace is to offer designated mental health days. While these may still be coded as “sick days,” make sure staff know their mental health warrants the same time off as being physically ill. To empower staff, make sure they know they will never be asked for proof or explanation of why they needed a mental health day.
Learn how iHealthOX can help you increase employees’ access to care, decrease your health spend, and deliver better health outcomes.
Article sources:
WellRight: 5 reasons to include emotional wellness in employee wellness programs
Small Business Chron.: What is an employee wellness program?
Corporate Wellness Magazine: Mental health as part of corporate wellness programs
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