Providing support to help employees stay balanced is increasingly important. Employees feel balanced when they are psychologically comfortable or content. This balance can help them navigate through life’s difficulties such as grief, divorce, work stress, burn out, depression, anxiety, substance abuse disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and more. Meeting the resulting mental health needs from these challenges is key to helping them attain balance.
Because of the significant rise in mental health issues in recent years, helping employees attain balance is a crucial imperative. The National Institute of Mental Health reports a staggering 22.8% of US adults have a diagnosable mental health disorder, including depression.
Incorporating Balance into Employee Benefits Programs
When employers help employees achieve balance, they have a more productive workforce. Employees are more resilient while moving through life’s challenges, and more focused while at work. According to the Deloitte article, The ROI in Workplace Mental Health Programs, employers offering mental health resources to employees see a measurable rise in productivity while reducing absenteeism and increasing presenteeism. By providing mental health and wellness options, businesses empower their employees to manage difficult life events.
Get More Out of Your EAP
Employee assistance programs (EAPs) offer assessment, counseling, referrals, and other services to employees in need of mental health treatment. These are typically short-term counseling services, but treatment can be transitioned to other mental health or behavioral health coverage, often within medical plans for those needing additional time or care.
EAPs are an important aspect of an employer’s benefit program. Providing multiple pathways for employees to access mental health support is important, as an EAP alone may not be fully effective. Despite rising rates of behavioral health issues, EAP utilization is still exceptionally low. Employers should understand current medical plan provider access levels and look at emerging third-party solutions that expand this access. These include networks that sit outside of the medical plan, though they can often be integrated. However, solutions like this example that offer a new way to expand access not previously available are sometimes only accessible to larger, self-funded employer plans. What may make the most impact is ongoing communication around all available mental health, mindfulness, and well-being resources in addition to the EAP. Providing other mental health resources like access to harm prevention associations and hotlines can ensure employees feel supported.
Consider Employee Balance Benefits
More robust mental health benefits are becoming available. These programs can include mental health assessments, personalized care plans, education, self- guided therapy, provider-led coaching programs, and care navigators to help employees meet rapid treatment needs.
In addition to providing mental health coverage, employers can help employees achieve balance in their lives through:
- A separate bank of paid time off for mental health and wellness
- Remote or hybrid-remote work
- Flexible hours
- Early release days
Encourage Resource Use
Unfortunately, simply offering mental health support isn’t enough to ensure the optimal mental health of your workforce. Mental health conditions are sometimes stigmatized, making many people uncomfortable bringing mental health needs to light. As a result, treatment needs are repressed or ignored. This can lead to increased incidences of lost productivity (presenteeism) and increases in employee absences.
Take steps to ensure managers and employees are aware of mental health benefits and encourage them to use these as needed. Employees at all levels must treat mental health needs with the same level of urgency as physical health needs. They should also be assured their mental health needs will be kept entirely confidential. Creating a culture of support, openness, and integrity—encouraging each employee to prioritize their well-being—is key to success.
Balance is just one of five key employee benefit program pillars that contribute to a thriving workforce. Learn more about the pillars in our white paper, Five Pillars of Well-Being – A Strategic Approach to Employee Benefits for a Thriving Workforce, or visit us at risk-strategies.com for more employee benefits insights and resources.
With more than 10,000 clients managed in our National Employee Benefits Practice, Risk Strategies delivers the high-quality, cost-effective, and compliant benefits programs and solutions employer need and employees value.
