2024 employee benefits & workplace predictions: Mental health
Industry leaders share their thoughts, comments, and concerns about the workforce's mental health and how it will affect their 2024.
Industry leaders share their thoughts, comments, and concerns about the workforce’s mental health and how it will affect their 2024.
Wellbeing is top priority
Mental health support will take greater priority among employers. Mental health awareness is continuing to be a key focus area for wellbeing programs and consistently rated as a top priority for Gen Z and millennials. There is also increasing recognition for how nutrition and gut health plays into mental health and resilience.
Wesleigh Roeca, Director of Business Development, Lifesum
The quarterback in care
Mental and behavioral health has been a growing concern since the COVID-19 crisis took hold. Employers continue to rank this as a major concern but have a long way to go for their employees. We’re projecting employers will think differently about ways to coordinate care across mental and physical health and beyond. One way is by making the primary care provider the quarterback in care, helping to proactively screen for and provide support to ensure employees are getting guidance across all the care continuum.
Ashok Subramanian, CEO, Centivo
Protecting employees against isolation
In a volatile, chaotic and sometimes challenging world, employees are reporting feeling overwhelmed and burnt out across all aspects of their lives, including at work. In 2024, it will be even more important for companies to continue providing resources and emotional support to ensure their workforce doesn’t feel isolated. This will include leaders taking action on commitments to provide healthy work environments that promotes employee wellbeing. In addition, being intentional about opening lines of communication will be instrumental in creating a natural support network to combat burnout. The importance of this really can’t be underestimated; EY’s Belonging Barometer 3.0 found that 32% of workers feel a greater sense of belonging at work when they’re checked in on by colleagues.
Karyn Twaronite, Global Vice Chair for Diversity, Equity & Inclusiveness, EY
Connection between physical health & work
Physical and mental wellbeing are interconnected. In this next year, we’ll see employers adopt new programs that are intended to help employees reach optimal workplace performance and wellbeing through a combination of rest, nutrition, and training tactics.
Greg Hill, Chief People Officer, Exos
Convergence of two powerful forces challenge wellbeing complacency
2024 will shake up complacent attitudes about workplace mental health as two forces converge: Gen Z’s growing workforce presence and their mental health struggles, and the contagion of unchecked negativity reaching a tipping point. We risk creating “Doom Loops” if workforce mental wellbeing doesn’t remain in the spotlight. To get ahead of this challenge, HR leaders must champion mental health with urgency, doubling down on resilience while normalizing open dialogues around mental health. Proactive, compassionate policies that foster a thriving culture will pay dividends as the next generation reshapes the workforce.
Andrew Shatte’, PhD., Chief Knowledge Officer and co-founder, meQuilibrium
Recognize employees as human beings
The demand for mental health support is on the rise, particularly as companies increasingly recognize their employees as human beings – a parent, a caregiver, a sibling – with responsibilities beyond their in-office roles. A strong and healthy mental state enables people to perform at their best not only in their personal life, but also at work, making it crucial to provide mental health benefits. While the initial investment might seem costly, the long-term advantages are invaluable.
Karishma Buford Patel, Psy.D., Clinical Psychology, chief people officer, Spring Health