May is mental health awareness month, marking the perfect time for employers to focus on supporting mental wellbeing in the workforce. Employees feeling mental strain often falter in work quality and suffer from absenteeism, lack of focus and chronic conditions exacerbated from stress. Prioritize worker wellbeing with these three tactics for improving employee mental health.
- Properly trained management
A decline in work performance and attitude is a tell-tale sign that an employee is battling a work or personal issue. True leaders know when it’s time to intervene. Managers should receive training on when and how to respond and respectfully provide support. They should be familiar with internal policies and procedures and know when it’s time to request support from the HR team. Managers have the power to support a focused, productive workforce through destigmatization, open communication and appropriate response tactics. - Offering an Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
An EAP is a low-cost benefit option that connects employees with valuable, confidential resources to address a variety of mental and personal issues. Ranging from covered counseling sessions to elder case assistance, services are all designed to increase ease of access to helpful care. - Coverage for mental health services
Mental health benefits are just as impactful as physical care benefits. The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) requires plans that provide mental health or substance use disorder benefits do so without imposing more restrictive treatment limitations than compared to the plan’s medical and surgical benefits. Care for mental health services can be expanded by adding telehealth counseling, ensuring provider networks offer ample options and allowing work schedule flexibility to attend provider appointments.
