Employee mental well-being: how you can help

Mental health conditions have long been ignored and even stigmatized in our culture, and certainly in our workplaces. Recently, however, there has been a paradigm shift in how our society approaches mental health and wellness. Individuals are more open about their struggles and more in tune with how their mental health impacts every aspect of their lives, including work. In turn, businesses are realizing that their employees' mental health contributes significantly to attendance and productivity – and ultimately, to the company's bottom line.

What can you do to support employee mental well-being as an employer? Fortunately, there are many simple and effective resources you can utilize to help your workforce become happier, healthier, and more productive – both on the job and in their daily lives.

Wellness programming

Workplace programs like yoga classes or meditation sessions are easy to set up and can help promote employee satisfaction and productivity in the office. There are a variety of platforms that offer low-cost virtual classes, and there are even some on YouTube that are available for free. For in-person classes, you can try contacting certified instructors in your area or looking internally to find employees in your company who are qualified to teach these sessions.

Of course, yoga classes and meditation breaks aren't the only programs that can help boost mental well-being. Do your employees have access to green space or walking trails? Such areas can be used for physical fitness programs or to simply provide opportunities for your associates to disconnect. A brief respite from the tedium of everyday office work may help employees focus better when they return.

Consider recruiting employees to a wellness committee to help brainstorm, organize and promote programs like these. This encourages employee buy-in and reduces your workload. Just be sure to support their ideas and efforts and remind their managers to grant them time and resources for this work.

Employee assistance programs

Many employers contract with Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) to provide a variety of services related to wellness, including individual and family therapy, marriage counseling, substance abuse programs, and more. EAPs can help employees access qualified providers more easily, and depending on the arrangement, they may even subsidize some of the expense.

There are a variety of cost models to choose from, including contract-only arrangements where services are bought as needed and fixed-fee setups where the business pays a set fee for a specific selection of services. When you consult with your wellness committee and/or HR team, you can determine which approach is best for you and interview a variety of EAP contractors to find the best fit.

Work/life balance policies

You can also address employee mental health with a work/life balance policy. Consult with your HR team and search online for relevant resources to form a plan of action. Work/life balance policies may address a variety of other work-related factors, including meeting culture, leave policies, flexible work schedules, and after-hours availability. Your wellness committee can be a great resource here as well. Once you establish a policy, make sure employees at all levels are aware of the guidance that is available to them and schedule regular check-ins so you can see how it's working and make adjustments as needed.

Supplemental insurance options

Newer supplemental insurance products may offer benefits that promote employee well-being. Optional coverage (usually employer-chosen) can offer benefits for:

• Mental and nervous disorder treatment
• Behavioral health treatment
• Substance abuse treatment

Typical supplemental coverages include accident, critical illness, and disability insurance. You can offer supplemental insurance to your employees during your company's annual enrollment. Coverages are affordable options for employees and their families. They're generally employee-paid and when offered to your eligible employees, the coverage is issued at group rates, keeping the cost lower than individual plans.

Allstate Benefits can help

Whether it's through in-office programs or supplemental insurance options to support mental wellness, the choice to help your employees is a compassionate one. Employees who participate in your mental well-being programs are likely to be happier, healthier, and more committed to their work, which will ultimately contribute to the overall success of your company.

Contact us today to speak with a sales representative about our supplemental insurance options and take the first step toward supporting your workforce's mental well-being.

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Affordable wellness resources for small and midsized companies

Promoting Mental Health in the Workplace