Employers expected to increase focus on employee mental health and wellbeing in coming years

Sixty-seven percent of employers are planning to make employee mental health and emotional wellbeing programs one of their top three priorities over the next three years according to a survey from WTW. While a number of those surveyed also intend to offer more mental health days, potentially tripling from 9% to 30% in two years’ time.

“COVID-19 took a terrible toll on employees’ lives, including substantially worsening mental health,” Erin Terkoski Young, senior director for WTW’s Health, Equity & Wellbeing practice said in a press release. “Although the pandemic may have started to wane, mental health challenges persist. Taking mental health programs to the next level won’t be easy, but employers that succeed will see improvement in productivity, retention and engagement.”