Each year around the world, employees miss an estimated 12 billion working days due to anxiety and depression. Those absences cost employers roughly $1 trillion in lost productivity annually.

Workplaces that invest in mental health support, on the other hand, tend to have happier, more productive employees — and are in high demand among new potential job seekers. The American Psychological Association’s 2023 Work in America^TM Survey found 92 percent of workers feel it’s important to work for organizations that value their emotional and psychological well-being.

Develop workplace initiatives to support employee mental health and well-being using these five core strategies:

1. Talk Openly about Mental Health at Work: Train department leaders on ways to conduct monthly mental health check-ins with staff. Prioritize asking “How are you doing?” in face-to-face conversations. Adopt routine, anonymous mental health surveys. Use feedback to address common pain points by tweaking workplace processes or adding new mental health support tools.
2. Provide Access to Well-Being Tools: Emotional and mental well-being affect workers’ overall health. Give employees the tools they need to feel their best. Offer access to company-sponsored yoga or meditation classes and digital tools. Blue 365 offers mindfulness courses from eMindful and app-based, emotional well-being support from Empifany.
3. Address Workplace Stress: More than 3 out of 4 workers report experiencing workplace-related stress. Help employees manage on-the-job stressors by incorporating short stretch breaks throughout the day. Encourage employees to use all their days off each year.
4. Make Employees Feel Valued: Promote employee job satisfaction by recognizing staff successes — both big and small. Share staff “wins” through staff newsletters and messaging on breakroom bulletin boards. Build a culture that involves employees, when possible, in decision-making.
5. Prioritize Opportunities for Connection: Help employees build a sense of belonging at work. Support team building through staff-sponsored events where employees can develop real connections with coworkers. Plan company picnics, departmental retreats or online affinity groups.