Employee wellness programs can have a tremendous impact on employees’ overall well-being, however, when building programs, many companies leave out a very important aspect. To call a wellness program “all encompassing,” we need not forget the importance of mental health. With many campaigns focusing on physical health, the opportunity to increase overall well-being, productivity and morale of your company is missed out on.

As with physical ailments, mental health issues lead to loss of productivity, absenteeism, and increase health costs. According to the World Health Organization, stress alone costs American businesses about $300 billion. So, what can employers do to target mental health?

Start with company culture.  Reduce stress by creating a positive work environment. Large corporations such as Huffington Post have begun embracing practices such as workplace meditation and a promoted work-life balance. We have seen, firsthand, how regular meditation can result in lessened stress and improved brain functions. In addition, promoting a work-life balance and encouraging employees to turn their e-mails off after hours can result in less cases of burnout, happier workers, and increased productivity.

Provide mental health programs for your employees. Ensure that employees have proper access to mental health programs by providing an employee assistance program (EAP) and promoting it. EAPs help employees identify and resolve issues such as mental, emotional, family, substance abuse, etc. while maintaining confidentiality. These programs allow employees to seek out assistance from someone who can refer them to mental health professionals and programs designed to assist them in resolving their issues.

Add wellness coaching to help employees with mental health. Adding wellness coaching can have a profound impact on employee mental health issues. Having coaches available to teach employees how to manage everyday stress both inside and outside the workplace is an invaluable asset to any organization. In addition to provide one-on-one coaching, coaches can deliver challenges and competitions designed to help with mental health issues.

While it is encouraging to see many large corporations and small businesses embracing wellness programs, there is still not enough emphasis on mental health. To truly be a proponent of “overall” well-being, a program must take into account the individual needs and the emotional state of each employee. Contact Wellness Coaches USA to learn how our onsite coaches can help you and your employees effectively resolve any mental health related concerns issues.