Cue the buzzwords: quiet quitting, anxiety, burnout. With more than half of US employees disengaged and 87% reporting work-related stress, it stands to reason that employees should be snapping up mental health benefits. But they're not. Even as open enrollment season rolls out the red carpet for an ever-broadening menu of wellness options, workers' use of mental health care benefits still hovers below 10%. So, how can company leaders help employees help themselves?

Here are three ways to look beyond open enrollment and inspire employees to engage in benefits that will better their mental health — and the company's bottom line.

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Don't require, inspire

For employees to buy into mental health offerings, they need to be inspired. How company leaders deliver that inspiration (and support) should be defined by who is on the receiving end of the offers. For example, a tech-savvy mom-to-be working in Seattle will respond differently to messaging than a 56-year-old factory worker in Topeka. While she may love a 6 a.m. in-app prenatal yoga class reminder, he may respond better to an after-work SMS with a 60-second stress-busting video. Knowing the cultural, generational and geographical nuances of your diverse workforce and how to communicate effectively to them is vital to getting them to use the resources available.

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