If 2020 was a year of rapid change and uncertainty, then 2021 was largely about adapting to the new normal created by the pandemic. Employees’ mental health has taken a beating over the last two years, but employers have made efforts to step up and offer support. Now, as we enter a new phase of pandemic uncertainty, workplaces are searching for new ways to understand what employees need to feel supported and bring their full authentic selves to work.
“One of the things that is critical is the communication around mental health,” says Bert Alicea, a psychologist and executive vice president of EAP work/life services at Health Advocate, a healthcare and patient advocacy company. “From an employee assistance standpoint, we want to move away from this idea that people who [seek help] have a mental health issue and we want to focus more on what I call ‘temporary setbacks in life,’ and focus on the whole well-being of the individual.”
