What's the investment fifty-seven percent of employers will make in the next three years?

It's mental health. Mental illness has been a long-avoided topic in the workplace. But as rates of suicide, substance abuse, anxiety, and depression increase, more employers are making these issues a top priority. It's essential that you begin thinking about how to create a culture of openness and acceptance when it comes to your employee's mental health.

The State of Oregon just removed co-pays for all mental health-related visits. PGE has made a major commitment to normalizing conversations around mental health and improving access to care. LinkedIn has made mental well-being a focal point of their workplace wellness:

“At LinkedIn, we believe that our people are the key to our success. As such, we believe it's critical to ensure that people feel engaged like they belong and that they have the resources to be successful at work and in their personal lives. We know that mental well-being plays a huge role in this, and that is why we invest in understanding how our employees are feeling day to day and giving employees the tools they need to be resilient to everyday work and life. Our focus on employee well-being is backed up by advocacy and action from everyone in the company all the way to the top.”

- John Jersin, VP Product LTS

At SalesForce, employees have options ranging from the mindfulness zone to a monthly stipend that they can spend on anything wellness related. Talking about mental and emotional health openly reduces stigma in the workplace and allows people the flexibility to improve well-being at their own pace.

Boston Beer's CEO Dave Burwick has made a commitment to employee mental health. "We take pride in caring for the whole individual at Boston Beer. We make sure that we pay as much attention to mental health as physical health, and our benefits reflect that. Stress and anxiety plague our society and we have a responsibility as employers to help co-workers manage their mental health."

In fact, 57 percent of employers plan to increase their focus on mental and behavioral health to a great or “very great extent” over the next three years, according to a recent survey by Willis Towers Watson. Those surveyed rank mental illness alongside metabolic syndrome, diabetes and musculoskeletal disorders as top areas of concern. These are chronic conditions that require ongoing treatment, which drives up costs and contributes to lost productivity.

One of the best ways to fight the costs associated with mental health and well-being is to start a conversation about the topic. Investing in employee assistance providers, or EAP, is a start, but for executives serious about addressing this persistent and costly talent challenge, they need to be the ones in the limelight inviting their employees to speak out on the issue. Deloitte reports an average ROI for mental health is 4:1, but with technology bringing down costs, the ROI is more likely to increase to 9:1.

We've created the tools for communicating with your employees about mental health. We'd love to talk with you and help you craft your solution. Sheila@BeyondWellWithSheilaHamilton.com

https://www.workforce.com/2019/01/17/employers-minding-mental-health/

https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/uk/Documents/public-sector/deloitte-uk-workplace-mental-health-n-wellbeing.pdf