An Honest Look at Employee Wellness & Mental Health Initiatives

What happens when A.I. meets E.I.?

A.I. is artificial intelligence. E.I. is emotional intelligence. And that question is not just a cute hook. It’s an issue at the heart of employee wellness and mental health initiatives.

Creating an effective program is tricky and the role of A.I. is just one flashpoint. To truly support employees, companies must take an honest look at what works and what doesn’t.

Workplace wellness - why now?

While employee wellness and mental health have always been important topics, they’ve only recently emerged as a pressing need.

Consider these statistics:

• Untreated depression costs companies $9,450 per employee per year in absenteeism and lost productivity. (Kaiser Permanente)
• 92% of employees experience mental health challenges that impact their work. (Workable survey)
• 87% of employees think actions from their employer could help their mental health. (APA survey)

And a quick Google search will offer you many more of the same. Last year, both the U.S. Surgeon General and the World Health Organization issued reports on supporting employees’ mental health.

Why now?

Erika Needleman is a personal and professional coach specializing in bringing emotional intelligence (E.I.) into the workplace. “COVID opened our eyes to how people are suffering,” she explains. “It shone a light on the fear and anxiety previously below the surface. Now we talk about it more openly.”

In other words, the issues were always there, but COVID brought them into the open. And they’re NOT going back into hiding.

Taking responsibility for employees

“It’s becoming increasingly clear to employers that they need to take responsibility for their employees,” Erika continues. “They need to take care of the whole person.”

The evidence indicates that employers are getting the message. A 2022 study found that 62% of employers say workplace mental health is already a priority. 24% plan to prioritize mental health moving forward. Mental health benefits are a leading voluntary benefit trend for 2023. And a new class of “wellness solution providers” is emerging. They provide turn-key mental health solutions and subscriptions to employers.

But are their efforts working? Are employees’ needs being served? Or are companies throwing money at the problem for window-dressing without delivering real solutions?

The answer: it depends.

Drawing on the experiences of her coaching clients, Erika shares four defining elements of successful employee mental health support.

1. Work/Life Balance

“Companies talk about a healthy work/life balance but still expect employees to answer calls and emails at night and on weekends,” bemoans Erika. “Those expectations lead to over-the-top stress and burnout.“

It’s not enough to talk the talk! Employers must practice what they preach. They have to create a culture that logs off after hours and encourages employees to have a life outside their jobs. But while that concept sounds good in theory, it’s easier said than done. Boundaries are often counterbalanced by imminent deadlines and overflowing inboxes.

“Many times, the answer is getting more hands on deck,” offers Erika. “Adequate staffing allows a company to support its employees’ mental well-being while meeting its business goals.”

2. Showing you care

In a healthy environment, employers actively care for their employees. They have systems in place where:

• Employees know whom to talk to when issues arise. They trust that person to actively solve the problem.
• Employers stay in tune with their employees’ emotions. They’ll ask employees how they feel or whether their work is creeping outside their job description.
• Managers know the warning signs of mental health distress and pass on that information to qualified professionals.
• Optimized benefits packages align with employee demographics. They’re also easy to access and understand.

The time and money spent caring for employees gets repaid in calmer, better, more consistent work.

3. Convenience and accessibility

Ease of use is crucial to the success of any employee benefit. Even when employees want mental health benefits, they may not take advantage of them if they’re too complicated.

The gold standard is arranging on-site programs. For example:

• Office gym or exercise room
• Catered lunch
• In-house coaching or therapy

Before offering an insurance benefit, ask pointed questions about the product:

• Is it easy for employees to understand the plan’s benefits and terms?
• Is it easy for employees to use the plan?
• How user-friendly is the claims process?

Making mental health benefits accessible may take some creativity. For example, at the height of COVID, healthcare workers experienced unprecedented stress, anxiety, and depression. But given their grueling schedules and the lockdown restrictions, many never got help.

Talkspace, a telehealth therapy company, began offering asynchronous text therapy to healthcare workers. Residents, nurses, and physicians could send unlimited text messages 24/7 to a Talkspace therapist. It was convenient, quick, and worked in their crazy lives. Within a month, symptoms improved for 56% of participants.

4. The personal touch

Here’s where A.I. meets E.I. In the last few years there’s been an explosion of apps and tools that give employees access to behavioral solutions and emotional education. “Many of the apps are helpful,” says Erika. “They gamify the experience, allowing employees to earn points as they move forward.”

But employers have to realize A.I.’s limitations. Apps help employees learn about themselves emotionally and develop coping strategies. However, they do not solve serious mental health issues such as depression, addiction, and suicidal tendencies. It’s not enough for employers to offer an app and believe they’ve checked off the mental health box.

“The most effective aid a company can offer is free therapy with a live human,” Erika says. “There’s nothing like a good old-fashioned person to make an impact.”

“And don’t forget the impact of a furry friend,” adds Becky Schaen, PBS Marketing Director. “Employees with pets are more satisfied and less stressed. Surprisingly, less than 2.5% percent of America’s pets are insured. Offering pet benefits is a terrific way to distinguish yourself as a caring, employee-focused workplace.”