Helping employers factor mental health into benefits programs  

Mental health has emerged as a public health threat in the United States, and it’s difficult to find a person today who has not been impacted in one form or another. A recent CNN/Kaiser Family  Foundation poll found that 90% of Americans feel we are in a mental health crisis. This crisis is  manifesting itself in our workforce, with an American Psychological Association survey noting nearly 80%  of U.S. employees experienced some form of work-related stress in the prior month.  

Fortunately, employers are well-positioned to play a crucial role in assessing, promoting, and protecting  employee mental health while adhering to the highest standards of confidentiality and data privacy. And  you, as a trusted advisor, are in a unique position to equip them with tools to integrate mental health into employee benefits programs. Here are some considerations. 

Use of mental health assessments

A group of my colleagues from the Health Enhancement Research Organization (HERO) recently  published research demonstrating how readily available assessments can help identify mental health  conditions associated with employee attrition, absenteeism, and presenteeism. These assessments can also  be used to gain psychosocial/mental health data that can be used to refine and adjust an existing  benefits program and evaluate the impact of current program initiatives.  

Mental health assessments are a key first step in protecting employee mental health, which is good for  their overall health and wellbeing and also good for business. Improved mental health has been shown to  increase employee productivity and engagement levels and can help with attracting and retaining  employees. In fact, data from the 2022 American Psychological Association’s (APA) Work and Wellbeing  Survey revealed that 81% of workers agree that support for mental health is a deciding factor in looking  for future work.  

Alignment with existing corporate well-being programs and EAPs

My colleagues’ research also emphasized the importance of ensuring that insight gained from employee  mental health assessments be aligned with existing benefits programs and ancillary programs, such as  Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs). EAPs, according to the research, have proven to be useful in  driving the mental health component of an overall employee benefits program. In addition to containing  valuable mental health and wellbeing data, EAPs often use their own assessments to provide program  recommendations. For example, 1 in 4 EAPs use a research-validated measure for work outcomes,  such as the Work Limitations Questionnaire (WLQ) or the Stanford Presenteeism Scale (SPS).  

Need for ongoing employee communications

Employers should be communicating with employees about their benefits program on an ongoing basis  to ensure understanding and effective use. You can remind your employer clients that employees want  to hear from them. A recent Voya Financial survey indicated that 65% of U.S. employees find receiving  more information from their employer outside of open enrollment helpful in better understanding their  benefit options. Ongoing employee communications can also help with reiterating steps being taken to  protect employee privacy. 

Gauging program effectiveness through measurement and benchmarking

In this age of ever-increasing programs and costs, employers seek proof that their benefits  program works. You can help by recommending your client focus on value on investment (VOI),  which speaks to the broader implications of workplace wellbeing and its effects on the overall tone, culture and impact of an organization. 

The impact of the U.S. mental health crisis will continue to affect our workforce for the near future. You  can help significantly mitigate its impact by working closely with your employer clients to integrate  mental health into employee benefits programs in a way that protects employees’ privacy while  enhancing their well-being. 

Karen Moseley is President & CEO of the Health Enhancement Research Organization (HERO), a national  nonprofit think tank dedicated to advancing best practices in workplace health and wellbeing.