Regardless of which industry you’re in, mental health care has likely become one of the hottest topics in your workplace. While mental illness was a mounting global crisis before COVID-19, the pandemic has exacerbated those concerns, bringing mental health to the forefront of many work-related conversations. People are talking openly about mental health and seeking care to treat it, which is an essential step forward. At the same time, not all care is created equal. Too many people still lack care that helps them improve or recover from their mental health conditions. The mental health resource landscape is crowded, but not all services have the same impact. People-focused employers are looking to invest further in mental health options for employees; they know that, by addressing their workers’ mental health needs, they won’t only be supporting individuals but the collective workforce. When employees have access to effective mental health care, the returns are significant: lower turnover, lower absenteeism, a workforce that feels valued and engaged, and higher profitability.

Nearly 200 million people around the world are feeling more stressed, and the COVID-19 pandemic has worsened this problem. Gallup’s 2020 Negative Experience Index revealed that 40% of respondents experienced an elevated level of stress compared to the previous 15 years, and 2021 certainly didn’t do us any favors. Employers know that COVID has raised the levels of stress, anxiety, social isolation, and depression across the globe. With many people continuing to social distance by avoiding large gatherings that could infect them with new coronavirus variants, stress levels are only amplified. In addition, the ups and downs of COVID infection rates and dashed hopes of wanting to see extended family and friends have left people feeling down. Another leading cause of stress is weighing whether work environments are safe enough to warrant a full return to the office as opposed to working remotely or with a hybrid schedule as businesses contemplate how they can meet objectives while accounting for the overall health needs of employees.