Supporting a culture of mental health at work 

A robust strategy for mental health support in the workplace goes beyond adding resources and includes a range of initiatives that create a culture of mental health within an organization.

To address concerns of rising rates of anxiety, depression and stress, many employers have taken actions to support mental health with initiatives such as enhanced Employee Assistance Programs, Point Solutions focused on resiliency and stress management and supplemental virtual mental health networks. 

These are all important components of a strong mental health program and should continue to be part of organizational strategy. However, employers who take a broader approach to creating a culture that supports mental health can become employers of choice and attract and maintain key talent.

To understand factors impacting employee mental health, Mercer surveyed more than 4,000 US employees and asked them what sorts of concerns kept them up at night. After mental health, finances, job security and work-life balance topped the list.

Why should employers be concerned about what keeps employees up at night? Because prioritizing mental well-being contributes to a positive organizational image for customers, clients and the wider community. Mental well-being correlates with higher levels of employee engagement and job satisfaction.

Alternatively, employees struggling with mental wellbeing miss on average four times as many workdays as others. Further, 81% of the respondents to a survey by the American Psychological Association reported that how an employer supports their mental health will be an important part of their decision-making process when seeking new employment.

There are several innovative solutions employers can consider to nurture a colleague culture supportive of mental health:   

• Listening sessions, in which the leadership team solicits ideas from employees on how the organization can support mental health, can provide valuable insight. Following a listening session, summarizing the key points and circulating an action plan can help build trust and demonstrate organizational commitment.
• Training leaders on effective communication, how to recognize a mental health concern and how to connect employees with resources can empower leaders to provide additional support.
• Programs such as matching contributions for paying down student loan debt, or contributions to their HSA, can support employees with their short-term financial needs, while also building their retirement readiness over the long term.
• Subsidizing phones, internet and office supplies for remote employees and transportation and meals for in-office employees can help on a day-to-day basis.
• Consider creative strategies to provide outsized support for lower income employees and remove the financial barriers to obtaining healthcare such as offering no or low deductible health plans and telemedicine to employees not eligible for the medical plan.
• Paid leave has a potential impact on recruitment, retention and productivity — and employer practices are evolving rapidly. Evaluate opportunities to create more equity in paid leave policies between hourly and salaried employees. Expanding parental leave and including leave for adoption, foster care and surrogacy are other initiatives to consider.
• Listen to employees about the type of flexibility that would most benefit them and explore time-based flexible working arrangements to address their concerns. Though remote or hybrid work may be the norm in some industries, there are still opportunities to ensure work-life balance is protected and promoted for all employees.
• Creating standards around online availability can help with work-life balance for office-type jobs. For retail, manufacturing and other non-office type jobs, scheduling adjustments and job rotation can provide employees with needed flexibility while limiting the impact on output.

While few organizations may be able to implement all these recommendations, beginning to explore those that could be a fit is an important first step in signaling to employees that their mental health and well-being are a priority.