The mental health benefits workers want

There’s a lot that can hurt a worker’s mental health.

But in today’s age, worker mental health is as important as ever. Putting workers’ mental health first can promote a positive workplace culture, help keep employees productive and prevent employees from burning out.

New polling from the National Alliance on Mental Illness and Ipsos finds that there are large gaps in the mental health benefits that workers say would help create a positive workplace culture and the benefits that are actually offered.

Below are five charts on how prioritizing workplace mental health can contribute to better performance, the mental health benefits workers feel is important, and who workers want leading the charge.

1. Bad mental health can harm productivity. Significant minorities of workers say they have felt their productivity suffer because of their mental health or considered quitting because of their work’s impact on their mental health. If you need more reasons than empathy to prioritize your team’s mental health, remember that doing so can be more than corporate lip service – it’s a way to boost productivity and retention.
2. What’s important vs. what’s offered. Nearly all employees think health insurance and mental healthcare insurance is important. But far fewer say they are offered mental healthcare coverage. There are significant gaps when it comes to mental health benefits workers say is important and what is actually offered.
3. More awareness goes a long way. One contributing factor to this gap might be a lack of awareness. Though most employees know whether they are offered these mental health benefits, a sizable minority isn’t sure. What is the best way to change culture around mental health? It might start with increasing awareness of benefits.
4. How benefits may benefit culture. Workers not offered mental health benefits say they are less comfortable telling their managers or coworkers how they are doing across many difficult conversations, whether it has to do with having a mental health crisis to needing time off for their physical or emotional health. Workers with mental health benefits are more likely to report that they feel they can tell their managers or coworkers how they are doing. Putting your money where your mouth is goes a long way in creating a mental health-first culture.
5. Who should be responsible? Employees generally feel that managers, executives, and HR should be leading the charge when it comes to helping create a welcoming mental health environment. Fewer, but still a majority, say the same of coworkers.

The workplace can be stressful. It doesn’t have to be damaging.

Prioritizing your team’s mental health isn’t just about pandering to the latest trend. It doesn’t have to just be a scarce luxury. It’s a way to keep employees productive and stop them from burning out.

Of course, underlying all this is the fact that humans are complex. Different workers will respond differently to different initiatives, and words will matter as much as the content.

But as a whole, improving your company’s offerings of mental health benefits, and employees’ awareness of these benefits, may go a long way in creating a workplace culture that prioritizes workers’ mental health.