How to support employee mental health in the workplace

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When it comes to promoting mental well-being at work, many employers don’t know where to start. You don’t need to overthink it. Here’s how you can leverage Wellmark’s mental health resources and support your employees’ mental health.

Why employee mental health matters

Ignoring mental health comes at a cost — to your business and employees. Mental health challenges affect health care costs and employee engagement. Barriers to care and confusion about where to start prevent employees from getting help. When employees can easily find and use the mental health resources included in their health plan, they’re more likely to seek care and get the right level of support.

Just like other chronic illnesses, mental health conditions reduce productivity while increasing health care costs and absenteeism. According to the World Health Organization, depression and anxiety lead to 12 billion lost workdays worldwide annually. Plus, employees who stay at work when they’re not fully productive — also known as presenteeism — cost employers nearly $150 billion a year.

Mental health doesn’t just impact a handful of employees. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, one-fifth of your workforce is likely suffering from a diagnosable mental health condition like anxiety or depression.

Thankfully, talking more openly about mental health has helped reduce stigma and get employees the mental health support they need. But some employees still aren’t comfortable speaking out about their needs. There are other ways you can build a supportive work environment for employees struggling with their mental health.

How prioritizing mental well-being strengthens your business

Providing mental well-being resources to your employees allows them to come to work as their best selves, resulting in higher productivity and lower turnover. Offering mental well-being resources also benefits your employees and business by:

1. Encouraging open conversations about employee mental health. Speaking openly about mental well-being and the resources employees have access to through their Wellmark health insurance plan lets your employees know that you support them and their needs. This reduces stigma and helps employees get the care they need to be both mentally and physically healthy — saving you money in the long run.
2. Helping employees feel safe to use existing benefits and time-off options. Integrating mental health benefits and encouraging employees to use what’s already available to them shows that mental well-being is an organization-wide value and that you take employee wellness seriously. And when employees trust that their employer is invested in them and their well-being, they’re motivated to perform well.
3. Helping employees access mental health support. Promoting mental health resources encourages employees to take their mental well-being into their own hands and explore what mental wellness looks like to them — whether that’s taking a day off to reset, practicing mindfullness or talking to mental health professional.

Your employees also have access to several mental health tools and resources through their Wellmark benefits.

Mental health benefits that help employees thrive

We understand that your employees’ mental health is just as important as their physical health. That’s why Wellmark focuses on making mental health support easier to access and navigate. Encourage employees to try these benefits for themselves.

• Wellmark Connect powered by WebMD^®: Available through myWellmark^®, our personalized digital platform delivers health content, podcasts, videos, recipes, daily habit-tracking tools and more to help employees take control of their health.
• Virtual care: Most Wellmark health plans include coverage for virtual mental health visits. Virtual visits remove several common barriers to mental health care and make care more accessible for employees in rural areas or with busy schedules. Employees can connect virtually with a mental health professional using their phone, tablet or computer.
• Behavioral health case management: Employees can talk with licensed social workers and get support for a variety of mental health concerns.
• myWellmark: Employees can search for mental health care providers, find online resources and check their benefits all in one place.

How Wellmark can help you support employee mental health

Wellmark is committed to creating an environment in your workplace that promotes healthy behaviors. Through our employer consulting and well-being services, we look beyond your employees' claims and provide a variety of evidence-based programs for their unique health and well-being needs.

Our services can provide you with tools and resources to create a workplace culture that:

1. Supports your organization's overall mission and vision.
2. Expands your well-being program beyond physical wellness to include whole health.
3. Engages employees in their health and well-being.

If you think your workplace could benefit from these programs, contact your authorized Wellmark account representative to get started, or connect with a Wellmark Well-being Consultant.

In the meantime, explore resources from the mental health toolkit. With flyers, email templates, articles and other materials, you can easily share Wellmark mental health resources and start promoting mental well-being in your workplace.