How 8 HR leaders are supporting mental health needs

More PTO and better benefits: How 8 HR leaders are supporting mental health needs

October 8, 2021 5:30 AM

Ahead of World Mental Health Day this Sunday, the well-being of the workforce is top of mind for executives and HR leaders.

Over the past year and a half, employers have pulled out all the stops to support their employees through the challenges of COVID — from offering mental health benefits with innovative telehealth offerings, to giving workers days and weeks off to recharge, these solutions have helped change the conversation around mental health and allowed people to ask for the help they need.

These executives and mental health experts shared their top tips and advice with Employee Benefit News on how to prioritize mental health care and give employees a safety net to manage their challenges in a healthy way.

Look, listen and act

“Consider how organizations can help support — and ultimately improve — the mental health of employees, customers and their families by creating an environment which reduces the stigma around mental health challenges. Look, listen and act. Look for the issues employees are experiencing by executing an anonymous poll. Listen to the leaders in your organization closest to these issues by bringing HR to the executive table for more informed decision-making. Finally, show support through actions, like expert-led online education tools, flexible working hours, or any number of plans and policies to show employees that supporting them is a top priority.”

-Michael Held, CEO of

Lifespeak

Provide PTO

“A company-wide day off is intended to give everyone a little bit of breathing room. It’s easy to stay plugged in all the time when you work remotely, and the company needs to take an active role in ensuring that everyone takes some time away from work. While we take many national holidays off, those holidays tend to be devoted to family, kids and household projects. A day off afterward gives everyone space to pursue a self-care or personal day of their choice — while partners are at work and kids are at school.”

-Rob Bellenfant, CEO and Founder of

TechnologyAdvice

Turn to technology

“In most cases, you don't need somebody to be physically there to get tremendous value. In fact, we see a lot of evidence that not having to get in a car and go to an office, from a stigma standpoint, actually leads to better mental health care because there's less stress and anxiety. The vast majority of the population has a need, and services like Ginger can be there for them in minutes, 24/7. They're connected with a behavioral health coach and can start a simple chat, but then we can navigate those members effectively to the right level of care.”

-Russell Glass, CEO of

Ginger

Work less

“When we have a four-day week, we can develop more of a routine and habits and different ways of going through our life which will become more structured. It's much easier to think long-term because we have more predictability about what the weeks are going to look like. If we are spending so many hours at a workplace, whether it's Zoom or physically being in the office, that also means that we no longer have the time to call our plumber, to make a doctor's appointment, to hang out with friends. The four-day workweek allows us to manage the other part of our life, which makes us feel better because we have control and can exercise our needs and have them met.”

-Dr. Kamila Sip, senior director of neuroscience research at

NeuroLeadership

Practice what you preach

“HR leaders are really recognizing that this is an inflection point for changing the conversation about mental health and the benefits they offer. It's about how your care can be seen as a resource for everyone and not just for those in a severe crisis. Just because the pandemic is lessening, mental health concerns aren't going away. Following emergency mode, we'll see a second wave of people seeking support. When I go out on PTO, I leave loudly and say, 'I'm taking time off, and for the benefit of my mental health, won’t be checking emails.” I want my employees to see and mimic my behavior.”

-Susan Wyatt, head of customer success at

Lyra Health

Build your resilience

“Resilient people are flexible and creative during stressful situations. To grow adaptability, carve out 5-10 minutes to brainstorm new ideas (ex: next vacation, books to read, business or hobby to start). Write them down and remember quantity counts, not quality. This tool is training your brain to generate multiple ideas. A resilient person can brainstorm a list of things you have control over and ideas for moving forward, a skill you are developing.”

-Phoebe Jenkins, behavioral health coach at

Ginger

Rethink your benefits

“No one’s really taking 10 steps back and building on what is the best employee experience — and I don’t mean asking what people want and then just giving it to them. Don’t just find new benefits and give them to your employees. In our case, what I find from our employees is a sense of, “I have so much work on my plate, it doesn’t help to give me access to four more apps that can alleviate my stress. It would help to hire another person so I’ve got less work on my plate.” That’s how we’re thinking now.”

-Ariela Safira, founder and CEO of mental-health platform Real

Keep talking about it

“The number one task for employers is to cultivate workplace cultures that normalize conversations around mental health and put resources in place for those who need support. This is going to take a new level of communication with employees and ensure that information is easily accessible to them, communicated often and is backed up by a workplace culture that destigmatizes issues relating to addiction or substance abuse and mental health. I think younger workers [especially] are helping to bring mental health to the forefront of conversations around workplace benefits and necessary employee support. It’s time to meet them where they are by having a workplace culture that prioritizes it.”

-Melissa Oliver-Janiak, senior director of benefits and HR Service Center at

The Standard