Being responsive to your employees' mental health needs is crucial in building and retaining a successful team. Offering various mental health-focused choices in a benefits plan could go a long way in creating a happy, healthy and productive work environment.
The past few years have put a significant strain on our society’s collective mental health. Benefits claims data in Canada reveals that disability claims related to mental health are increasing among all age groups and have become the most common long-term disability claim.
This is especially true for employees aged 18-35, where nearly half of all new long-term disability claims are related to mental health.
Traditionally, the mental health of employees has not been a factor that employers have given much consideration to. In today's workplace however, employers must look at ways to improve their employee’s mental health if they want to create an environment that attracts and retains engaged and productive employees.
Benefits Plan and Mental Health
When deciding on a benefits plan, most employers focus on traditional benefits but with mental health issues on the rise, this needs to change.
Employers should talk to their benefits broker about increasing mental health coverage, such as counseling services, or adding an employee and family assistance program. They could also consider adding mental health days for employees or bringing in experts to offer workshops on mental health.
Employers should ideally explore ways to provide greater flexibility for their employees. A recent study indicated that:
33% of Canadian employees felt that flexible work arrangements would provide them with the most support for their mental health.
This could include work-from-home options, flexibility in work hours, or compressed work weeks.
Finally, it may seem simple but don’t overlook the value of compassion and empathy. A recent study revealed that for 17% of employees in Canada, empathy from their employer was the single most important factor to improve their mental health.
Most people have dealt with a lot of change, anxiety and hardship over the past few years, and taking time to listen to employees and hear out their concerns and challenges can make a significant difference.
Reach out and connect with Momentum Benefits today to see how your benefits plan could be more responsive to employee mental health needs.
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