Untreated mental health issues cost U.S. businesses over $300 billion annually, but investing in mental health initiatives like EAPs, peer support, and mindfulness programs can significantly reduce costs, boost productivity, and improve employee well-being.

In fact, the Harvard Business Review found that peer support programs improve employee mental health outcomes by 35% and of course, they increase feelings of belonging by 40% and companies with mental health incentives experience, says Lydia Dishman, senior editor of growth and engagement at Fast Company, who moderated a session on mental health in the workplace during a From Day One’s webinar.

Clearly, there is a lot companies can do to help improve the mental health of its employees. Here’s how the five panelists suggested organizations create environments of care.

Trends in Employee Care

More and more, employees are asking employers for needs like financial help, housing issues, food insecurity, as well as mental health, according to panelist Nicole Roger, director of clinical partnerships at Spring Health. “Creating a culture of care really makes sure that we help people and meet them where they’re at,” she said. Unfortunately, many times people have too many hoops to jump through the more help they need. It’s important to pay attention and not let employees fall through the cracks.

When employees need mental health care and help paying their electric bill, or help with their next meal, that’s going to affect them as a person and as an employee. Employees are asking for more support, and employers should be ready to answer. “I’m really proud that Spring Health has been able to embed that into our platform. So not only can you see a therapist, but we’ll ask you, hey, are you having trouble paying your electric bill?” Then they can help connect them with services to make that happen, Roger said.

Those in HR need to understand that they aren’t the therapists—they just need to know where the therapists are and how to connect employees with what they need. “It’s okay for us as human beings to say, I actually don’t know,” she said. “But you know what? I’m going to help. I’m going to help get you this answer. It just creates that element of authenticity.”

The first time anyone asks for help can feel extra scary, so Roger suggested removing words like “mental health” so it feels more like a conversation. Instead ask, “How are you feeling physically? Are you stressed out? How’s your sleep?”

One thing companies should consider is using vendors who use measurement-based care, so you can track if employees are getting the help they need.

Checking In: Are You Okay?

The first step can be as simple as asking the question, “Are you okay?” according to panelist Melinda Morimoto, senior benefits director at Genentech. “At the end of the day, our people need to know that we care about them as individuals. So what that looks like for me with my team, we start our staff meetings with a poll. How are you doing mentally? What’s your workload?” The answers will drive the meeting and help them course correct. Because the biggest challenge is leaders looking the other way. But doing nothing doesn’t help the employee that’s struggling.

Genentech created a network of 400 mental health champions across the U.S. with the idea of spreading mental health awareness across the organization and reducing stigma. For the entire month of May, they wore “Are You OK?” t-shirts, but people kept wearing them after that. It offered a signal that they were in a safe space—that you can be connected to resources.

“I had an employee who lost her mom and her sister and then was struggling with her dependent,” Morimoto said. “I said, ‘well, have you reached out for help and scheduled therapy? It’s free.’” The person responded that things weren’t that bad. “‘Well, how bad does it have to be before you reach out for help?’”

Unmet needs can quickly escalate, so it’s vital to keep up-to-date on what employees need. At Genentech, they surveyed their people and found the number one gap was caring for aging parents. They responded to that need by including a caregiver benefit with coaches who did the homework to find options for the aging parent and offer help for the employee. “It gives them back time. It gives them back peace of mind that they're doing the best that they can,” she added.

Another thing they’ve done is to embed resource groups within the business. Sometimes, Morimoto says, it’s easier to relate to someone more like you within the employee community. Not only that but making getting mental health access as easy as possible was a priority.

“One of the things that we did that was really powerful is we actually put a mental health clinician right by the manufacturing floor with accessibility for drop in.” That way, there was no waiting for help, no searching for help. It was literally a step away. “I am in the moment struggling, and I want help. It’s right in that door.”

Meeting Employees Where They Are

Judgment-free care is key to good mental health in the workplace, said panelist Melanie Baxter, director of global wellbeing at Alorica.

“We have over 140,000 incredible employees internationally, and my job is to make sure they’re cared for,” Baxter said. “I’m their landing pad.” She added that the only way to move forward is to not attach judgment or labels to people. The important part is opening up that dialogue.

“I’m seeing this so much more in workplaces where the dialogue is ‘You don’t have to be the solution granter. You don't have to be all things to all people. You just have to be the landing pad or even the starting place.’”

Word choice is important so people feel comfortable. In her position, Baxter likes to say, “I noticed” to open up the conversation. “I think if you can say, first I noticed this again, it removes that judgment, it removes that attachment.” It allows true feelings to emerge, she says.

She also utilizes the Wellness Wheel approach, which addresses all aspects of well-being, including mental, physical, financial, social, familial, and environmental. It uses data and tools like EAP (employee assistance programs) to address the needs of employees.

“When I joined Alorica, I was really gifted with focus groups, and there’s such a culture of transparency,” Baxter said. “I asked in my focus groups, what’s in the way?” Laying the groundwork and building the culture is key to being able to have open conversations. What can be in the way, however, is not having people who look like you or understand you that you can talk to.

“What I have found, and what I want to encourage anyone on this call right now, is to be rigorous with your vendors,” she said. “I have found incredible mental health practitioner partners that offer gender affirming mental health care, which was something I never even knew was that hard to track down, and it’s not any more expensive. You just have to ask.” she said. “You’ve got to be willing to ask questions, willing to hear the answers, and then you’ve got to act on the answers.”

Addressing Barriers and Bias

Panelist DeShawna Manley, national benefits director at PriceWaterHouseCoopers, tries to understand what motivates people. “Understanding not only what someone is good at, but what they want to learn, it helps them to enable their work life to be more fulfilling,” she said.

One of her jobs is helping to bridge gaps by involving representatives who employees can relate to, whether based on race, gender, or other factors. “I’ve had HR managers who could not connect, and I’ve asked, ‘Do you mind if I reach out?’ Because sometimes seeing someone on the other side of that screen that looks like you will create that connection,” Manely said. “It’s human for us to have certain comfort levels with certain people.”

There’s another type of bias she sees, and that’s unconscious generational bias. It could be older leaders who don’t understand younger workers who think differently. As Manely says, it all starts with awareness. “I’ve had conversations with the more Gen X leaders, and they don’t understand the behavior of the Gen Zer,” As someone on the cusp of Gen X and Millenial, she understood. “Being able to say, I can relate to your perspective. I understand where you’re coming from. I understand that this new generation, this younger generation, they operate differently, their perspective, their needs, are a little different.

With that conversation, the light bulb will go off and there is an awareness of unconscious bias that helps everyone move forward.

Diversity of care is important, and finding vendors that offer access to what employees need is key. The less barriers to care, the better, she says.

Engagement and Authenticity

Benefits means more now than ever, said panelist Christopher Smith, vice president of benefits at Universal Music Group. You have to engage and be authentic in order to help them. You have to leave your desk and talk to people and truly listen.

“Get up and talk to some folks. The folks are your stakeholders. They are your clients. If you want to know what somebody wants, sometimes you have to ask. And that, I think, has been the secret to my success as a benefits leader,” Smith said.

A big part of listening is then acting on what employees need. Even if that changes over time. “I think there is a lot of stigma behind thinking, I have a job. I'm making X amount of dollars a year, so I shouldn’t have a financial problem. It’s embarrassing to go and talk to somebody about these things, right?” Smith said. But that shouldn’t be the case. Especially when being unable to have these real discussions causes stress. “So I think being able to have real conversations and share a little bit of our humanity can go a long way,” he said.

By fostering open conversations, reducing stigma, and meeting employees where they are, companies can create cultures of care that not only improve well-being but also drive engagement, productivity, and retention. The key is listening to employees, acting on their needs, and ensuring access to diverse, judgment-free resources that support every aspect of their lives.

Carrie Snider is a Phoenix-based journalist and marketing copywriter.