6 Ways to Support Employees’ Mental Health and Well-Being

Monday, June 06, 2022

Sam Slade, Business Contributor

 

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What can you do as an employer to make mental health a collective priority for your organization?

Here are helpful, proactive approaches you may want to consider:

- Communication/Keeping an Eye Out: Recognize the existence of stress and start a dialogue. In addition, regular check-ins can be a great opportunity to connect with your teams. While these meetings are often reserved to go through tasks and project updates, try to make time for the question, “How are you?” and make it genuine.

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- Promote Well-Being: Build as much flexibility as possible into work schedules, encourage employees to use their paid time off, and remind employees regularly to take their lunch away from their desk, go for a walk or take a break.


- Employee Assistance Program (EAP): If you haven’t already, consider establishing an EAP. These programs offer several resources to assist, counsel, and support employees and their family members – including mental health, child- or elder-care, substance abuse, relationship challenges, financial and legal resources and much more. 


- Meditation Programs: There are many programs and memberships that offer mindfulness programs, such as Headspace and Calm, that can be used both in the workplace and at home. Reach out to your health insurance provider to find out what mental health benefits might already be included in your plan.


- Emergency Contact Information: Ensure you have up-to-date personal information for all employees, including emergency contact information. It’s a good idea to remind employees, at least annually to check their information. Many employers do this during annual open enrollment.

 

- Regulatory Compliance: It is important to remember that mental illness is an illness and can be a disability as well. That means employees may be covered by one or more of the following:  the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the federal Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), and numerous state leave laws.

 

By shining the light on awareness of mental health and putting small changes in place, you can transform your culture, which can lead to your business’ continued success through increased job performance and productivity, higher retention, deeper engagement, and improved communication. A happy and healthy workforce is essential to the growth of any organization.

Sam Slade is Managing Director, Employee Benefits, at The Hilb Group of New England, where he delivers consulting and brokerage services to local employers. He has extensive experience in all aspects of employee benefits, including underwriting, plan design, communications, compliance, and analytics, with a particular focus on alternative funding and self-insurance. Sam lives in South Kingstown with his wife and three sons.  

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