Resources for Employers to Improve Employee Mental Health

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May is national Mental Health Awareness Month and a good time to offer businesses resources to help improve employee mental health. Lingering stress and uncertainty have taken a toll on employees’ well-being—42% of U.S. adults reported symptoms of anxiety or depression in 2021.1 And 74% of business leaders agreed that mental health and well-being offerings are important for employees.2 

Key findings from SMBs

A recent study of small and midsize business (SMB) owners reveals:

Owners value health and wellness solutions.3

  • Health and wellness solutions rank No. 2 in priority.
  • 75% provide health and wellness solutions.

Of the SMB owners who provide health and wellness benefits:

  • 30% offer an Employee Assistance Program.
  • 30% offer emotional and wellness programs.

Employers are increasingly concerned about mental health.3

The larger the company, the greater the concern. While 36% of SMB owners with 2-9 employees are concerned about employee mental health, this percent is significantly higher among those with 10 or more employees:

  • 51% of SMB owners with 10-49 employees
  • 63% of SMB owners with 50-99 employees
  • 72% of SMB owners with 100-199 employees

Ways to improve employee mental health

Share this step-by-step guide with your business clients to help support employee mental health and well-being. It includes a series of short articles that focus on these five topics:

  1. Getting more value from your Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
  2. Easing employee stress over world events
  3. Reducing employee stress in the workplace
  4. Helping employees cope with family stress (without meddling)
  5. Encouraging employee financial wellness 

1 During August 2020–February 2021, the percentage of adults with recent symptoms of an anxiety or depressive disorder increased from 36.4% to 41.5%. “Symptoms of Anxiety or Depressive Disorder and Use of Mental Health Care Among Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic—United States, August 2020–February 2021,” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, April 2021.
2 The Principal Financial Well-Being IndexSM on March 12-16, 2021,surveyed 511 business leaders of for-profit companies with 2-10,000 employees.
3 2022 Principal Financial Group® Business Owner Check-in, conducted by Dynata.