By investing in flexible wellness programs, HR leaders can create a culture where mental health support is part of the everyday employee experience.
By Maggie Mancini
Loneliness is growing across the globe, with one in five people worldwide feeling lonely often, according to Gallup. Data shows loneliness can increase a person’s risk for developing mental health conditions and impact their physical health. At work, feeling isolated can manifest as disengagement, loss of productivity, increased absenteeism, and higher healthcare costs. At the same time, employees are open and eager to build connections and often view work as an important place to do so. Headspace’s latest Workforce State of Mind report shows that when employees feel connected to their colleagues, they’re more engaged, more productive, and more likely to stay with their employer. In fact, the top benefits employees say would make them more likely to stay at a job are employee-sponsored team building and professional development opportunities.
In today’s hybrid and remote environments, however, fostering those connections takes intentional effort, says Lisa Mulrooney Gross, chief people officer at Headspace. HR leaders need to create structured opportunities for employees to build relationships, whether through team building or mentorship programs that provide a sense of belonging, she explains.
“Digital collaboration tools can help bridge the gap,” she says. “But culture is the real differentiator, especially when leaders model vulnerability, prioritize open communication, and create spaces where people feel psychologically safe to share challenges and ask for help. At the same time, supporting employees isn’t just about social connection. It’s also about ensuring they have access to the right well-being resources, no matter where they work.”
Providing On-Demand Support
Flexible mental health programs like virtual coaching, therapy, and mindfulness tools can provide on-demand support when employees need it most, Gross says. Check-ins from managers and peer-led wellness initiatives can also help keep mental health front and center, reinforcing the idea that no one has to navigate these challenges alone.
“Organizations that prioritize connection, both in the workplace and through their benefits, build stronger, more resilient teams,” Gross says. “And when employees feel safe and seen, they’re more likely to stay and more likely to thrive.”
The report shows that 40% of employees have taken leaves of absence for their mental health, and 51% of HR leaders note that it’s an increase compared to prior years. That’s not just a statistic, it’s a wake-up call, Gross says.
For HR leaders, reducing the frequency of mental health leaves of absence and providing support for employees who do need a break is crucial, Gross says. Here are some key considerations when working to improve mental health support for employees.
- Stay proactive. “Organizations need to do more to address burnout before it reaches a breaking point,” Gross says. “Investing in proactive mental health support helps employees build the skills they need to manage stress before it escalates.”
- Equip people managers with the tools to provide mental health support. Managers are on the frontlines of the workplace, but many don’t feel adequately prepared, Gross says. Nearly half of employees turn to their managers for mental health support, yet most managers are not required to take mental health training. Providing managers with the right language, training, and tools can help catch burnout early, Gross explains.
- Model work-life balance for employees. “Boundaries matter, too,” Gross says. “Encouraging employees to take breaks and set clear work-life boundaries can go a long way in preventing burnout. Vitality, high performance, and the ability to do your best comes when you are properly rested and refueled.”
- Embed mental health support into the employee experience. Providing clear and compassionate support for employees who need to take a leave of absence is crucial, she says. Employees should feel safe discussing their needs without judgements and return to a workplace that’s ready to reintegrate them. “A one-size-fits-all approach won’t work,” Gross says. “HR leaders must meet employees where they are: mental health resources shouldn’t be an afterthought; they need to be embedded into the employee experience from day one.”
Enhancing Well-being With AI
AI is transforming mental health support, making it more personalized, scalable, and accessible. Today’s employees don’t just want benefits—they need resources that meet them where they are, in real-time, Gross says.
AI-powered mental health tools, like Headspace’s Ebb, provide emotional support, mindfulness recommendations, and therapy-matching platforms. The AI chatbot is designed by clinical psychologists to help members employees navigate stress, build resilience, and access care without long wait times or scheduling barriers, Gross explains.
“With 94% of HR leaders expressing interest in AI-powered mental health benefits, it’s clear that technology will play a crucial role in the future of workplace well-being,” Gross says. “But AI isn’t just about convenience, it’s about impact. By analyzing workplace sentiment and engagement trends, AI can help organizations proactively identify stressors and implement targeted interventions before burnout sets in.”
Using AI in mental healthcare requires thoughtful design, Gross says. Ebb is built with clinical oversight, privacy safeguards, and transparency to ensure it enhances—but doesn’t fully replace—human care. This gives employees another trusted, accessible way to take control of their well-being; and it’s one that 89% of employees would feel comfortable using, she says.
Optimizing the EAP
An employee assistance program (EAP) is only effective if employees use it, Gross says. Right now, many employees don’t use it because of barriers like awareness, accessibility, and stigma. To optimize the EAP and enable employee use, HR leaders need to make mental health benefits easy to find, easy to use, and part of everyday conversations throughout the year, rather than just during open enrollment or onboarding.
“We’ve seen success when companies go beyond email, embedding benefit reminders in team meetings, manager one-on-one templates, and onboarding refreshers throughout the year,” Gross says. “Beyond communication, HR teams should assess whether their EAP truly meets the needs of today’s workforce.”
In addition to traditional therapy, coaching, mindfulness programs, financial wellness support, and on-demand digital resources are increasing in demand from employees, Gross explains. Partnering with an EAP provider that offers personalized, end-to-end mental health support can make a real difference.
“Companies that take a proactive, modern approach to their EAP don’t just ‘set it and forget it’ or check the box on benefits,” Gross says, “rather, they create a culture where mental health support is part of the everyday employee experience.”
It’s important to remember that mental health support isn’t a perk—it’s a business imperative, Gross says. Organizations that get this right aren’t just improving well-being, they’re driving better engagement, retention, and performance. While budget constraints may make the C-suite hesitant to invest, the reality is not investing in mental health comes at a much higher cost in the form of burnout, absenteeism, and turnover, she explains.
“The smartest companies recognize that supporting employee well-being isn’t just about offering benefits, but about creating a workplace where people feel valued, supported, and empowered to bring their best selves to work every day, where they can do the best work of their careers,” Gross says. “At the end of the day, real change happens when leaders take action.”
The future of work isn’t just about where people work, it’s about how they feel while they’re doing it, Gross says. Organizations that invest in their people’s mental health today will be the ones that thrive tomorrow.
