The Mental Health Benefits Your Team Wants

Work plays a significant role in our lives. So, when mental health declines, the effects often show up in the workplace as reduced productivity, burnout, absenteeism and even turnover.

Across Canada, various studies and surveys suggest there’s still a substantial gap between the mental health support employees say they need and what they receive. Most agree that mental health benefits are important – even essential – but many employees say they either lack access to enough support or are unaware of the resources available to them.

For small and mid-sized employers, this gap represents a missed opportunity to attract and retain talent, improve performance and build a healthier workplace culture. The encouraging news is that you don’t need a large HR department or a major budget to make an impact. Practical steps can help close the gap and contribute to a more supportive work environment for your team.  

Why Mental Health Benefits Matter Now More Than Ever

According to one survey, about 60 per cent of Canadian employees have experienced a mental health issue. However, only about a third say they’ve received additional support or resources from their employer to help manage their mental, physical or financial wellness, and only a portion of those received mental health support. They survey also highlights that many employees are either unaware of available support, don’t feel comfortable using their benefits, or don’t see them as very helpful.

Employees value services such as counselling, flexible time off and supportive leadership, but many workplaces still fall short on delivery or communication. When benefits don’t match needs, employees can suffer in silence. Productivity drops, team morale falters, and good employees leave.

What Employees Want

Mental health resources are no longer “nice to haves” in the workplace; they’re fast becoming expectations. One in three Canadian workers would consider leaving their job for better mental health benefits.

Here are some of the things they’re looking for in workplace mental health benefits and support:

• Coverage for therapy and counselling. 89 per cent of plan sponsors acknowledge the importance of mental health support, but 73 per cent of employees feel their workplace environment supports mental wellness.
  
• Mental health days or flexible time off. Flexible scheduling and dedicated mental health days are increasingly valued by employees as essential for maintaining well-being.
  
• Supportive and trained managers. Despite 95 per cent of HR professionals recognizing the importance of mental health training for managers, 18 per cent of employees feel their managers are equipped to support mental health needs.
  
• Clear information on available benefits. Employees often face barriers in accessing mental health support due to unclear communication about available resources. Over 90 per cent of employees with poor mental health cited barriers such as personal costs and lack of motivation, which highlights the need for transparent information.
  
• A culture where it’s safe to speak up. Creating a psychologically safe workplace is important. The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) highlights the importance of reducing work-life friction and addressing job-related stress to support mental wellness.

Five Ways Employers Can Step Up

You don’t have to reinvent the wheel to build a more supportive workplace. Here are five practical things you can start doing right now:

• Promote what you already offer. You might already have counselling services or an Employee Assistance Program (EAP), but if no one knows about it, it’s not helping. Make it visible in onboarding, newsletters, team meetings and internal chat channels.
  
• Make mental health days normal. Normalize taking time off for mental wellness, whether they’re part of sick days or separate. Leadership can set the tone by using them too.
  
• Offer access to virtual care. There are several Canadian platforms available that can make it easy for teams to access mental health support anytime, from anywhere.
  
• Train your managers. Your managers don’t need to be therapists, but they do need to understand how to support someone who’s struggling. Look into programs from the Mental Health Commission of Canada or Not Myself Today. There are also signs to look out for to help identify an employee who may be struggling with mental health challenges.
  
• Ask your team. A short anonymous survey can go a long way. Ask your team what kind of support they’d actually use. You might be surprised by what they say (or don’t say).

Small Business, Big Impact

If you’re ready to improve your team’s well-being and build a workplace people want to be part of, we’re here to help. Contact us today so we can work together to build the benefits your employees want.

Suggested Reading

Mental Health at Work: Signs an Employee is Struggling

How EAPs are Expanding to Meet the Needs of Today’s Workforce