Prioritizing employee mental and behavioral health can significantly impact a company's workforce and internal corporate culture. Recent data from the CDC reveals that employee mental health disorders and stress levels are rising rapidly, with as many as 44.7 million U.S. adults ages 18 or older reporting a mental illness. When left untreated, mental and behavioral wellness conditions can create some of the biggest health concerns for working-age Americans, making an effective workplace strategy a must for businesses across every vertical.
Several factors can contribute to the rapid upswing in diagnosed mental health conditions, including stress, anxiety, and burnout in American workers. However, statistics show the workplace itself may be one of the biggest influencers. A recent article, The U.S. is the Most Overworked Developed Nation in the World, shows that Americans aren't just working more hours than ever — they are working more hours than almost everyone else on the planet. The post revealed:
Additionally, previous generations of employees spent the majority of their time in the workplace. However, the rising prevalence of remote work models has meant that U.S. workers spend most of their time working — even when they aren't at work. Whether at home or in the office, employees need access to corporate wellness plans that help them achieve interconnected well-being and work/life balance.
Today’s HR leaders and businesses are going beyond only offering physical health programs. Instead, these professionals are also leveraging the benefits of a customized mental and behavioral health plan to offset environmental stressors and help employees maintain interconnected well-being. A well-executed wellness program focusing on mental and behavioral health can:
When implementing an employee wellness plan, some business owners and HR leaders begin with internal DIY efforts. However, developing an effective workplace wellness program with existing resources requires extensive time and effort. Additionally, a successful program must deliver a precise mix of mental and behavioral health resources that considers a company's culture and continuously evolves to meet new wellness standards and employee needs. To optimize outcomes, businesses of every size and scope rely on an outside provider specializing in mental and behavioral health services to develop, implement, and support their workplace wellness programs.
Implementing a corporate wellness program from a qualified provider that focuses on mental and behavioral health delivers several benefits over a do-it-yourself, internal option:
Employee insights and feedback are critical to developing a customized workplace wellness program. However, many HR leaders feel uncomfortable gathering the health and wellness information they need from employees to develop a plan to support them. Using an outside provider's anonymous employee survey delivers tangible, relevant information to help stay ahead of issues and zero-in on specific employee needs without collecting sensitive or personally identifiable information. Outside providers are also staying on top of relevant current research and can help interpret how your survey results compare to like companies.
Sharing health concerns with HR is also uncomfortable for employees. An outside program offers a secure, discreet platform where workers can share private details to help them identify personal goals and provide anonymous feedback to the company.
There's no such thing as a one-size-fits-all approach to wellness. Internal programs often don't have customization capabilities, which means the tools will only work for some employees. An outside program customizes available resources based on individual needs for a personalized approach.
HR professionals can't devote the time needed to keep up with the latest mental and behavioral health practices and requirements. Implementing a fully developed program bridges the gap between the tools HR currently has and the resources they need to connect with staff.
Most importantly, implementing an employee mental health and wellness program from an outside provider empowers staff to take charge of their connected health and wellness journeys. Rather than feeling overwhelmed or misunderstood, employees will receive a detailed, directive course of action with realistic, achievable next steps.
Pathways provides cohesive corporate wellness programs that equip employees with the resources needed to support interconnected well-being. Our behavioral health experts build programs specifically designed to solve mental health concerns in the workplace. Contact us today to learn more about our approach to employee mental health and wellness.