Making mental health a company-wide priority

Employers have long recognized the business case for addressing employee mental health and well-being: reduced absenteeism, increased productivity, and greater overall health, contributing to decreased health care expenses. 

Unfortunately, the stigma of discussing mental health has long been a barrier to accessing available services. But it’s possible that, as mental health and resiliency become a greater issue as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, greater collective awareness will help overcome the stigma.

“I’ve seen so many television programs lately — series and docudramas — that have addressed the issue of mental health head-on,” says Debora Roland, vice president of human resources at CareeArc. “It is one of those things that people don’t really like to talk about, but you can have normalcy even if you are challenged with stressors.” 

With the increased incidence of mental health issues poised to have a major impact on the workplace, it’s imperative for employers to start the discussion and encourage employees to take advantage of all available resources. “Education is really important, guiding people to articles, videos, podcasts is a way to help people understand what mental health is,” Roland says.”None of us is superhuman and sometimes you need help, and that’s okay. Giving resources to get that help is really important.” 

Listen to Ms. Roland and managing editor Emily Payne discuss the various wellness and mental health support tools available and how to drive utilization. 

Click here to listen to other Supporting Mental Health During Challenging Times podcasts.