It’s been more than 2 years since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and its effects on mental health are still on full display. Your employees are the backbone of your business, and in the last 2 years, they’ve had to endure more uncertainty and stress than ever before. That’s why now more than ever, companies and employers are emphasizing the importance of addressing mental health issues in the workplace. According to McKinsey & Company, more than 30% of employers have added mental health employee benefits within the last year.
It’s important that organizations evaluate and address mental health and mindfulness benefits strategies so they can best support their workforce. A happy and taken-care-of team will lead to higher performance and productivity in the workplace. In this blog, we will discuss the importance of mental health employee benefits and provide you with ideas to consider to promote employee wellbeing.
What Are Mental Health Benefits?
Mental health benefits coincide with a more comprehensive insurance plan. Providing mental health benefits can range from counseling and therapy to an Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
No matter which initiatives you decide to incorporate within your organization, mental health benefits offer an extra level of support to employees who need it. Mental health benefits are primarily beneficial to your employee’s well-being but are also advantageous to your business. Some of the most prevalent reasons employers are seeking to add mental health benefits to their employee package are improved employee health, burnout prevention, and increased productivity.
Employee Assistance Programs
Organizations and employers all across the country can expect to see a drastic rise in mental health programs in 2022 and 2023. One solution that will see growing popularity is Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs). EAPs help provide free and confidential assessments, counseling, referrals, and follow-up services to employees that experience any mental health issues such as stress and anxiety. Additionally, EAPs can provide workers and their families with beneficial counseling and access to treatment facilities that support a healthy mind.
EAPs can also help businesses address work-related components that may be contributing to employees’ mental health issues, enabling companies to eliminate and prevent factors leading to a negative work environment. When EAPs have been available to employees, work loss decreased, and work productivity increased.
Expand Virtual Counseling, Therapy, & Doctor Visits
The use of telehealth services has already been on the rise for the past couple of years. Telehealth platforms utilize live video conferencing so employees can communicate with therapists or doctors no matter where they are located. Telemedicine can play a huge role in improving employees’ mental health by providing them access to helpful resources 24/7.
Both therapy and counseling can be included in your healthcare insurance packages. Even for companies that already offer it, you can speak to your insurance provider to see how you can expand and promote these resources. There are several advantages of utilizing telemedicine as a method to improve mental health, including:
- It grants employees access to beneficial therapy from any location including their home
- Increases access to medical assistance for employees in rural areas
- Greater access to mental health resources such as therapists
- Higher costs savings for both employees and plan sponsors
Telemedicine is a significant resource that organizations should be investing in if they haven’t already. Putting your employees’ mental health needs first will show them that the company cares about them.
Go Beyond The Basics
We’ve covered both telemedicine and EAPs but you can still go above and beyond these solutions. When considering offering mental health benefits, you must think outside the box. You can enhance traditional offerings with benefits that improve your employees’ lives such as flexible scheduling/work hours, mental health days for employees who need a break, and active communication with employees on their workloads.
Mindfulness In The Workplace
Mindfulness is the ability to be fully present at the moment without worrying thoughts or anxiety about the current situation. It’s a state of thinking which has been practiced by humans for hundreds of years. The main purpose of mindfulness is to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression. With mental health issues at all-time highs, now is the perfect time to implement mindfulness techniques in the workplace.
At Alltrust Insurance, we’ve partnered with eMindful to help protect employees’ health across the country. Alltrust clients have access to an abundance of mindfulness solutions through our partnership. Your team can build skills through live, expert-led online mindfulness sessions that will help them far beyond the workplace. Through these mindfulness sessions, employees can equip themselves with the ability to diminish stress and have better control over their thoughts. Mindfulness practice alongside therapy and counseling can be exactly what your team needs to improve their mental health and overall wellbeing.
Start Your Journey To A Healthier Workplace With Alltrust Insurance
We live in very challenging times for both business leaders and employees. With the effects of the global pandemic and economic uncertainty lingering at the moment, there has never been a more important time to emphasize employee mental health. Implementing or improving your organization’s mental health benefits and wellness programs will empower your employees and improve their overall health.
However, researching different employee benefits coverages can be complicated and time-consuming. That’s why you need a trusted partner to help you along the way. Our team at Alltrust Insurance has the right tools and experience to help you with all your employee benefits needs. Our partnership with eMindful makes us especially capable of assisting with mental health benefits. For more information on how we can help your business today, please contact us to set up an appointment.
