Behavioral Health in the Workplace

Mental Health Awareness Month is officially observed in May and is especially relevant this year as everyone is continuing to deal with the impact of the pandemic. New research on Behavioral Health Issues in the Workplace was published by The Standard and recently presented in a webinar by Dr. Dan Jolivet, a former practicing clinical psychologist and current workplace consultant.  The following numbers are pretty eye opening.

• Pre-covid, 30% of working adults were diagnosed with a behavioral health condition.
• Post covid, 58% of working adults are being diagnosed with a behavioral health condition.
• Per 100 employees, employers pay approximately $200K in wages for lowered productivity due to an employee’s behavioral health condition.
• Approximately 59% of Millennial workers are diagnosed with a behavioral health condition while 71% of Gen Z workers are diagnosed with a behavioral health condition. Only 22% of Baby Boomers report to having a behavioral health condition.
• Sadly, only half of the people with a behavioral health condition seek treatment.

There are ways you, as an employer, can assist and provide value for those employees (58% of them) who suffer from behavioral health conditions.  Here are some ways to help:

• Make behavioral health benefits VISIBLE and ACCESSIBLE to employees.
• Address the stigma around behavioral health.
• Implement “Stay at Work” and “Return to Work” programs.
• Equip managers and other leaders with training and resources.
• Involve and engage experts, including your disability carrier partners.

If you offer any type of disability coverage to your employees, then in most cases your carrier partner has tools and resources for your employees to utilize.  For example, most disability carriers offer Return to Work services, EAP services, and ADA services and reasonable accommodations.  These services are usually offered at no cost to you or employees.  The success rate for employees who take advantage of these programs can be tremendous – 68% for Return to Work and 90% for Stay at Work.

At Brinson, we love advocating for you and your employees by working hard to build and support benefit plans that make a real difference. And we hope this information serves as a valuable addition to mental health awareness and efforts to support behavioral health in the workplace.   

By Nick Love, Benefit Strategist at Brinson Benefits