The dynamic and complex modern workforce
The mental well-being landscape today
Mental Wellness Benefits
Exploring how employers can
optimize their approach and
increase employee participation
Sections
Addressing mental wellness in the workplace has never been more crucial. Employee burnout and the effects of the Great Resignation have called attention to the need for a better understanding of employee expectations and concerns about mental wellness.
Securian Financial fielded a proprietary survey with 2,500 full-time employees from other organizations to better understand the perception of mental wellness offerings in the workplace and how employers can bolster their programs. Survey respondents reflect the age distribution in the current workforce and the mix of ethnicities in the general population.
78%
With 78% of organizations either currently offering mental health resources or planning to in the next year,1 building and maintaining this class of benefits remains a high priority.
1. Mental Health in America. A 2022 Workplace Report. SHRM, May 4, 2022.
The dynamic and complex modern workforce
The four generations represented in this study all approach the topic of mental wellness differently:
“I found out about this from my work through the interview when they mentioned it to me, and the offering was very positive, which made it very intriguing and made the decision to try it way easier.”
— GEN Z
GEN Z
expects this to be fixed already. Leveraging mental wellness resources is normalized for
this generation.
What it means for employers:
Mental wellness benefits are crucial for every generation. But because these benefits are expected from Gen Z and Millennials, employers should recognize that to attract and retain young talent, they must provide easily accessible mental wellness resources.
Perceived importance of mental
wellness resources by generation
45%
46%
13%
6%
3%
3%
2%
1%
Very important
Somewhat important
Neither important or unimportant
Unimportant
27%
7%
65%
60%
59%
49%
36%
29%
33%
12%
9%
5%
Table
The mental well-being landscape today
Employees across generations are familiar with Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) and the services an EAP provides. Mental health coverage and counseling are the most common resources offered.
Top 5 mental wellness benefits ranked by importance to employees
1. Mental health coverage through
medical insurance
2. A set number of free counseling
sessions (EAP)
3. Virtual counseling
4. In-person counseling (outside work)
5. Grief support
Mental health counseling is the most common benefit offered by employers.
But the most utilized mental wellness resources were mental health days and mindfulness classes.
of surveyed employees who have EAP or counseling services have actually used them.
Only
Top 5 most
desired benefits
Mental health coverage through insurance
Mental health
days off
Workplace flexibility
Schedule flexibility
Paid time off
30%
13%
11%
7%
5%
What it means for employers:
Employers should explore which mental health benefits are expected from their employees. Consider surveying the workforce and expanding the variety of mental well-being solutions. Know that communication is key. Remember that easy access to appointments make EAPs more intriguing and lead to higher participation.
14% of Millennials and 22% of Gen Z rank mental health days off as most important.
Financial wellness and mental health are interconnected
14%
22%
Impact of financial wellness on mental wellness
Impact of mental wellness on financial wellness
26%
39%
20%
7%
8%
It’s proven that financial wellness affects mental wellness. Safety and security
are at stake in both areas, so it’s no surprise one influences the other.
The impact on mental wellness is strongest when financial pressure is highest. *48% of Gen Z find it has an extreme impact.
Poor mental health decreases motivation and focus at work.
When mental wellness takes a toll, the ability to complete tasks decreases. And in turn, more resources from the company are needed to recover, negatively affecting finances.
26% An extreme impact
18% An extreme impact
20% A moderate impact
21% A moderate impact
39% A large impact
26% A large impact
7% A slight impact
15% A slight impact
8% No impact
20% No impact
18%
26%
21%
15%
20%
48%
of Gen Z find it has an extreme impact
Those who have the essentials covered feel less of an impact on their mental wellness, but still worry about finances as they need to prepare for retirement.
“Even though we are doing fine, saving for retirement and thinking about that is a big change.”
— Boomer
“My ability to meet my financial obligations keeps my mind at rest and positively impacts my ability to do my job effectively.”
— Gen X
What it means for employers:
Traditional benefits are not enough. Employees recognize the need for — and expect — a mental wellness component in their benefits package. Consider how mental wellness benefits intersect with financial wellness benefits for your employees.
Securian Financial is ready to help build out your financial wellness program.
Employees report better mental health when their financial situations are manageable and they’re on track to meet long-term financial goals.
You might be thinking,
Yeah, we offer mental wellness benefits,
but almost no one uses them!
Mental health resources are a new concept for a lot of employees. Even if you offer mental wellness benefits, it’s common for employees to be apprehensive to use them. Our study uncovered some common barriers and what employers can do to increase participation.
Barrier 1: Confidentiality
Misconceptions that employers know what services are being used and concerns around accompanying professional backlash creates wariness around utilization.
Similarly, ingrained distrust in counseling or negative connotations for needing help prevent use for older employees. Boomer and Gen X employees are uncomfortable with counseling in general and are especially worried about the stigma associated with using these types of resources.
“I do not want my supervisor to know that I would do this because there is an unstated stigma against this for future promotional opportunities.”
— Boomer
What employers can do:
Reinforce confidentiality. Employers need to prioritize confidentiality when promoting mental well-being benefits. Detailing how information will be anonymized and safeguarded is essential to making employees comfortable
in utilizing their benefits.
Employers should consider educating older employees — especially those in leadership positions — about how important mental health benefits are for younger employees. The need for mental health resources spans generations, but consider the growing value in communicating mental health benefits to older employees in a positive way. Every colleague’s mental health is vital to the larger population.
21%
34%
of younger Millennial and Gen Z feel they don’t have enough time
of full-time employees have mental health days off
Barrier 2:
Younger employees are overwhelmed
While open and eager to using these resources, Gen Z and Millennials are too overwhelmed to research logistics on how to actually take advantage of them, especially when they’re needed the most. Burnout further dissuades Gen Z and Millennials, as it causes a lack of time and energy to use the resources.
Q&A
You mentioned you haven’t taken advantage of mental wellness resources at your company. Please tell us a little about why.
Q:
“Not many leaders at work can point people in the right direction on how to access these resources.”
— Older MILLENNIAL
“I haven’t used my employer provided mental wellness resources because I do not know enough about them, and I feel too busy both at work and home to look into it.”
— Gen Z
What employers can do:
Employers can reposition unused time off for mental health, which will give employees the space to use mental health resources and normalize their use in the process. Consider “Lunch & Learn” or other worktime sessions to showcase these benefits and explain how to access them.
Barrier 3: Benefits are undervalued
Employees undervalue the versatility of the services provided and feel they are
only for the most urgent needs.
67% of employees who haven’t used any mental wellness resources feel they don’t have a serious enough issue to access these services.
67%
What employers can do:
Communications about available resources must clearly emphasize the range of benefits these services offer for a variety of situations, from more serious struggles to even proactive measures.
Bonus recommendations to increase utilization
Hearing about mental wellness resources from managers and co-workers is the most effective communication method, but currently, the most used channels are emails from HR and company websites.
Organizations are largely on the right track. More Millennials and Gen Z are hearing about these resources from co-workers and managers compared to Boomers and Gen X.
1
2
3
An easier way to transfer care and access to more diverse counselors will increase program utilization.
After included sessions are used, employees want to know they’ll be able to transfer care if needed and have the desire to choose from a variety of qualified counselors and joining methods.
There is the greatest room for improvement among mid-size and large employers.
There is a 95% statistical significance that more Millennials and Gen Z, at smaller companies, and those working in tech have used at least one of the mentioned mental wellness benefits through their employer. Bureaucracy and less personal communication means benefits may be less utilized at mid- to large companies.
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All statistics cited are from the Optimizing Employer Mental Wellness Benefits: Exploring key barriers to utilization study.
Generational quotes provided were given by survey participants who were compensated for their time.
Securian Financial is the marketing name for Securian Financial Group, Inc., and its subsidiaries. Minnesota Life Insurance Company and Securian Life Insurance Company are subsidiaries of Securian Financial Group, Inc.
