mental health Archives

The Top 5 HR Trends to Look For In 2021

by daniel@bestmoneymoves.com | Mar 3, 2021 | Blog

The Top 5 HR Trends to Look For In 2021. Keep an eye out for these five up-and-coming HR trends as workforces everywhere adjust to a post-COVID world.

It’s no secret that 2020 was a disruptive year. Fallout from the Coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic forced millions of Americans to work from home, and changed the way employers think about employee wellness. The new workforce needs to be adaptable and resilient in the face of uncertainty and leadership must find new ways to keep their teams motivated and healthy.

Here are the top 5 HR trends to look for in 2021, after a year that transformed the way Americans work.

Continued remote work & an emphasis on hybrid work spaces.

A year into the pandemic, workers have had time to reflect on the pros and cons of going remote and, to the surprise of many, there’s reason to believe that work-from-home options may stick around, even after the pandemic has ended. In a recent PwC survey, 83% of employers said their shift to remote work has been successful. According to the same survey, 55% of employees want to work at least three days a week from home, even after concerns of COVID-19 fade. While this doesn’t exactly align with employers — 68% of whom claim they need at least three days in the office a week to maintain company culture — the results do make one thing clear: We are likely heading in the direction of compromise. Look for more offices staying remote or vying for half-remote, half-in-office hybrid models in 2021.

Increased flexibility on work hours.

Some Americans are beginning to feel the restrictive nature of the 9-to-5 daily grind, especially after a year where many working parents lost the support of daytime childcare to the pandemic. Now, it seems employers are exploring alternative ways to structure employee time at work, many of which are paying off. According to Gartner’s 2020 ReimagineHR Employee Survey, while 36% of employees were high-performers in the standard 40-hour workweek, that number rose to 55% when employees had flexibility over their hours and location. Expect this idea to be tested in more and more companies this year.

Increased employer focus on employee wellbeing and mental health support.

According to the CDC, mental illnesses are associated with higher rates of disability and unemployment. These struggles affect more than just productivity and engagement, they can damage physical capabilities and daily functioning. Nearly 41% of adults report symptoms of anxiety or depression in their households, according to a January 2021 report from Kaiser Family Foundation, a massive spike from the 11% reported in June of 2019. With more and more employees experiencing challenges resulting from the collective trauma of the pandemic, employers must adapt. While there’s a long way to go, many companies feel more comfortable having conversations about mental health. As such, employee benefits are trending towards mental health support.

Increased employer focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion among staff.

This trend isn’t based around productivity or output and isn’t about numbers or qualifiers: It’s about morality and equity. A year of social unrest has caused more companies to acknowledge their shortcomings when it comes to diversity and take the first steps toward becoming more inclusive. While diversity describes the make-up of a company, inclusion implies a more active approach. Companies are understanding that you need to be intentional about remaining inclusive.

Emphasis on corporations taking social and political stances.

The United States is undergoing a serious social reckoning and being a bystander to the burning social and political issues of the day is becoming harder to justify. When the leadership of a company aligns itself with the views of its employees, the entire company culture moves towards unity and, in turn, productivity. According to Gartner research, the number of productive and engaged employees jumped from 40% to 60% when their companies acted on the social issues of the times. More and more companies are feeling empowered to voice these opinions to their employees.

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How Employee Health and Wellness Programs Help Build Resiliency

by LizStevens | Oct 14, 2020 | Blog

How employee health and wellness programs help build resiliency on an individual and organizational level to better navigate economic uncertainty.

An astounding 75 percent of U.S. employees are struggling at work because of anxiety caused by COVID-19 and other recent events, according to a survey by TELUS International.

Employers aren’t blind to the unprecedented levels of stress employees are feeling. In fact, as the pandemic drags on, 85 percent of them are increasingly concerned about their employees’ health and wellness needs, according to research by Unum.

Another report by Principal found roughly 30 percent of employers plan to adapt benefits offerings to provide better mental health and wellness programs, childcare support, healthcare benefits and financial wellness programs to support employees through times of uncertainty.

“COVID-19 has fundamentally reshaped the benefits landscape,” says Kara Hoogensen, senior vice president of U.S. Insurance Solutions for Principal. “Employees and employers alike are recognizing the need for coverage that protects the health and well-being of both individuals and their families. This has brought new meaning to benefits that may have previously fallen lower on an employee’s priority list, such as income protection, life insurance and mental health programs.”

How Employee Health and Wellness Programs Build Resiliency

According to the research by TELUS International, since working from home during the pandemic, almost four in five employees have found it challenging to “shut off” from work in the evenings. Forty percent of workers aren’t getting enough sleep and 13 percent are hardly sleeping at all. Over 35 percent of employees reported feeling less healthy physically and 45 percent said they feel less healthy mentally. But just 40 percent of employees feel empowered to let someone at their company know when they aren’t feeling physically or mentally well, and that’s a problem.

Employees who aren’t feeling well struggle to focus, aren’t as engaged or collaborative, take more time off and are less satisfied with their jobs, ultimately taking a toll on an organization’s productivity and retention. Nearly 80 percent of employees would consider quitting their current position for a job that focused more on employee mental health.

Flexible Schedules Build Resiliency and Better Health Outcomes

Nearly 90 percent of employees agreed having more flexibility in their work schedule would positively impact their health, 49 percent said health care benefits that include therapy and counseling would make a difference, 43 percent would like thoughtful one on one check-ins from their employer and 37 percent thought virtual workshops about health and wellness or yoga and meditation classes would make them feel like their mental health is being prioritized.

Prioritizing Employee Health and Wellness is a Win-Win

Prioritizing employee health and wellness is mutually beneficial. Through health and wellness programs employees have the opportunity to improve their physical, mental and financial health, lower their stress levels and learn how to better manage the various struggles they may face in the future. This absolutely carries over to their performance at work. The result is a company culture that is healthier, more supportive and more resilient to challenges on all fronts.

Supporting Mental Health in the Workplace During COVID-19

by LizStevens | May 13, 2020 | Blog

Supporting mental health in the workplace. New research highlights how employees are struggling during the coronavirus pandemic and how employers can better support mental health.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month and the coronavirus pandemic has left almost everyone feeling anxious and stressed out about the future.

Nearly 1 in 4 feel employees report feeling down, depressed or hopeless often and over 40 percent feel burnt out, drained, or exhausted from their work, according to research by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). Almost 40 percent of them haven’t done anything to cope with these feelings and only 7 percent have reached out to a mental health professional.

“It’s a timely reminder that there’s more to this crisis than new cases and economic costs,” said SHRM President and CEO, Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., SHRM-SCP. “COVID-19 is taking a toll on our minds and emotions in a million little ways. Now, more than ever, employers should double down against stigmas and guarantee employees know of the resources, benefits, and accommodations available.”

Supporting Mental Health in the Workplace During COVID-19

The first step to supporting employee mental health is acknowledging it directly. Harvard Business Review found it shocking that 40 percent of employers hadn’t asked employees how they’re doing since the pandemic began. They suspect it’s because employers want to respect the privacy of their employees, but 40 percent of employees want their manager to be the one to broach the subject of mental health.

Letting employees know you’re aware of the mental and emotional challenges they’re facing during the coronavirus pandemic starts to wear down the stigma that there’s something wrong with being depressed, anxious, or struggling with mental health. It’ll make them feel more supported and they’ll be more likely to reach out and ask for help if they’re having a hard time.

When an employee opens up about something they’re struggling with it’s important to listen before reacting. Then, remind them of the mental health resources your organization has available and follow up with them in the next few weeks to see how they’re doing.

Nearly 60 percent of employees struggling with mental health said their employer doesn’t offer mental health programs that meet their needs, or that the programs they do offer are too difficult to access or understand, according to a survey by MetLife.

Reassess your organization’s mental health benefits offerings, observe usage rates and if they’re low, determine if it’s an issue of benefits communications or if the benefits themselves don’t fit the needs of workers. But first, if you haven’t already, ask your employees how they’re doing as the coronavirus pandemic continues.

World Mental Health Day 2019: Supporting Employees at Work

by LizStevens | Oct 8, 2019 | Blog

World Mental Health Day 2019: Supporting employees at work. These are five ways employers can reduce work-related risk factors and promote mental health at work.

World Mental Health Day 2019: Supporting Employees at Work

The World Health Organization (WHO) has outlined five ways employers can reduce work-related mental health risk factors, including high job demands, low supervisor and coworker support, job insecurity and long work hours.

Plus, advances in technology are making it easier for employers to give employees access to mental health benefits that can help.

5 Ways to Promote Mental Health at Work

Research by Harvard Business Review found that less than half of employees felt their employers prioritized mental health and even fewer viewed their company leaders as mental health advocates. Most employees, 86 percent to be precise, think a company’s culture should support mental health.

Here are the WHO’s five ways employers can promote mental health, adapted from a guide from the World Economic Forum:

Implement and enforce health and safety policies and practices, including identification of distress, harmful use of psychoactive substances and illness and providing resources to manage them.
Inform employees that mental health support is available.
Involve employees in decision-making, conveying a feeling of control and participation.
Create organizational practices that support a healthy work-life balance and build programs for career development.
Recognize and reward the contributions of employees.

A study led by the WHO found that for every $1 employers put into scaled up treatment for common mental disorders, there is a return of $4 in improved health and productivity.

Mental Health Benefits During Open Enrollment

We’re only a month away from open enrollment and there have been plenty of technological developments that make it easier for employers to provide benefits that support the mental health of employees.

A recent analysis from the National Business Group on Health found that more than 80 percent of employers will provide mental health services to employees virtually. One-third of employers will offer onsite mental health counselors. More than 25 percent will provide digital cognitive behavioral therapy for mental health issues. And nearly half will provide training for managers to help them recognize mental health issues and guide workers to resources.

Now is the time to consider what kind of mental health benefits your organization offers and how you can use new technology to give employees access to programs and tools that can help.

How to Support Mental Health at Work

by LizStevens | Jan 8, 2019 | Blog

How to support mental health at work: Manage work-related mental illness risk factors and encourage employees to engage with available mental health programs and benefits for improved health and higher productivity.

Nearly a quarter of U.S. workers have been diagnosed with depression and 40 percent of them take an average of 10 days off from work each year because of their mental illness, according to the American Psychiatric Association (APA).

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates depression and anxiety cost the global economy $1 trillion each year in lost productivity. The good news? WHO also estimates that for every $1 put into scaled up treatment for common mental disorders, there is a return of $4 in improved health and productivity.

Employers can start to minimize the effects of mental illness in the workplace by identifying work-related risk factors and simplifying access to mental health benefits.

The WHO identified work-related risks, like inadequate health and safety policies, poor communication and management practices, limited participation in decision making or low control over one’s area of work, low levels of support for employees, inflexible working hours and unclear tasks or organizational objectives, as factors that could negatively impact employees’ mental health. The WHO recommends offering flexible hours, job-redesign, addressing negative work dynamics, and supportive and confidential communication with management to help people with mental disorders continue or return to work.

Traditionally, employees have accessed mental health benefits using an employee assistance program (EAP), a time-consuming process where they’re screened by phone and directed to an in-network provider. Benefits providers have started looking for solutions that streamline access to mental health benefits, acknowledging how frustrating the traditional model can be.

Fairview, a health system based in Minneapolis, places a behavioral health provider onsite, or at the nearest clinic, for employees to consult with in person. “The system eliminates barriers; people will know where to go for help. And getting help sooner means that we’re more likely to resolve the issues earlier in the process. We believe that will save the employer money, both with claims costs and productivity,” says Rene Coult-Calendine, Vice President of Market and Product Development at Fairview.

Organizations should develop integrated health and well-being strategies that include mental health intervention, covering prevention, early identification, support and rehabilitation to better support mental health in the workplace. Communicating available programs or benefits, and, more importantly, encouraging their use can make a real difference when it comes to managing mental illness in the workplace.