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Amid growing employee stress and burnout, organizations face pressure to prioritize mental health. Experts say targeted employee assistance programs and empathetic leadership can improve productivity, engagement, and workplace culture

WE LIVE – and work – in challenging times. Though the COVID-19 pandemic brought increased visibility to mental health and well-being, recently we’re seeing a scaling back of that mindset. And while going “back to normal” is welcome in many aspects, some things shouldn’t revert, says Brandon Bacik, manager, talent solutions advisory at ADP. “The state of the issue isn’t going anywhere – in fact, it’s growing,” he says, pointing to Dialogue’s state of the workplace report, which noted a 28 percent decline in mental health in the past year for Canadian workers.

ADP Canada designs better ways to work by providing cutting-edge products, premium services, and exceptional experiences that enable people to reach their full potential. The company offers HR, talent, time management, benefits, and payroll solutions informed by data and created for organizations of all types and sizes. ADP Canada has a strong history of developing products that simplify work and shape the changing workplace environment.

A significant disconnect

of employees believe it’s important for employers to improve well-being

89%

“There’s a significant challenge in the world of work that needs dedicated focus. Although many employers are ready to shift gears back to a pre-pandemic mindset, that pandemic-driven priority on mental health needs to be part of future workplace plans”

Brandon Bacik, ADP

“There’s a significant challenge in the world of work that needs dedicated focus,” Bacik adds. “Although many employers are ready to shift gears back to a pre-pandemic mindset, that pandemic-driven priority on mental health needs to be part of future workplace plans.”

From financial concerns and uncertainty about the future in a technological age, to juggling challenges at home while some companies claw back remote options, stress and burnout are on the rise for employees. While 15 percent report they experience high stress daily, half of all workers report some level of stress on the job. Employers are in a unique position to improve the lives of people who work for them. “There’s a compelling case to be made for embracing corporate responsibility to prioritize mental health and well-being at work, if not just from a productivity and business results perspective,” notes Bacik. Stress and burnout strongly correlate with lost productivity, low motivation, and high turnover. Highly stressed employees are more likely to consider changing jobs than their less-stressed peers, and it’s not just about mitigating the productivity drain of people leaving. Employees who stay and continue to work under high stress tend to have higher rates of absenteeism, with those who identify as burnt out being 63 percent more likely to take a sick day. According to Gallup, an actively disengaged employee costs $3,400 for every $10,000 of salary when considering higher absenteeism and lower productivity.

The stats are stark: 89 percent of employees believe it’s important for employers to improve well-being, but only 38 percent said their employer took the initiative to do so. Even less – 21 percent – feel their employer fully supports their mental health and well-being. There’s clearly a disconnect between what employees are looking for and the degree to which they’re getting it, and that’s where the opportunity lies.

isolated. Helping a lonely employee feel connected to a community can be as simple as creating networks of colleagues, and don’t underestimate the value of frequent touchpoints with leadership. Roughly 60 percent of employees say their manager is their primary connection to the organization’s culture, so implementing robust, human-centric training for leadership is paramount. According to Gallup, something as simple as meaningful feedback boosts engagement up to four times. “Cultivate psychological safety so employees feel respected, accepted, and valued,” Bacik says. “We need empathy for what people are going through and understanding that because their experiences are unique, the solutions you offer should be too.”

Listening to employees voice their pressures and priorities is a powerful place for a program design to start. Involving them from the beginning, such as by establishing a committee to contribute feedback, helps focus your efforts on delivering the best-fit, greatest-impact programs. “It’s a great way to empower employees with more ownership and an effective way to ensure that the actions and investments the organization is taking will resonate.” Another key step is establishing a clear vision of what you want to achieve. Are your desired outcomes less absenteeism, lower turnover, improved engagement, or all the above and more? Setting targets defines what success looks like and how you will measure it. Having multiple metrics as part of your dashboard can be an asset. Whether it’s EAP

utilization, retention, sick time, engagement scores, or productivity, how the data points correlate will help identify red flags or areas that require a deeper dive – and remember, the best way to measure efficacy is by asking the end user. And it doesn’t begin and end with the solution: what are their thoughts on organizational culture? “Whether through focus groups, pulse surveys, or manager check-ins, there’s no better gauge for the state of your well-being climate or support satisfaction than opening the door for feedback and conversation,” Bacik says. Although a comprehensive program with the latest bells and whistles is enticing – emerging technology is poised to shake up EAPs with the potential to deliver personalized plans for individual employees that connect them with the offerings they need most, for example – Bacik is clear in his message: don’t wait. “Don’t try to boil the ocean or be daunted by the effort and cost of an extensive program; you can start small,” he urges, noting a fully implemented suite of solutions is not needed out of the gate. Offer a well-being workshop, host meditations on-site, or roll out empathy training for managers. “Taking steps to address even portions of today’s issues will help alleviate some of the stress and disengagement employees are struggling with. It’s never too early to start chipping away – little things make a big difference over time.”

Partners stressing one of them at the office

The business results perspective

Bringing your program to life

Published October 21, 2024

“Cultivate psychological safety so employees feel respected, accepted, and valued. We need empathy for what people are going through and understanding that because their experiences are unique, the solutions you offer should be too”

Brandon Bacik, ADP

said their employer took the initiative to do so

38%

feel their employer supports their mental health and well-being

21%

The cost of disengagement

An actively disengaged employee costs $3,400 for every $10,000 of salary when considering higher absenteeism and lower productivity

Burnout and stress that are left unchecked or allowed to fester can quickly become perceived by employees as “just how things work here” and a collective sense that the organization undervalues the “human side of the equation,” Bacik says. “It creates a culture that risks employees feeling unseen, unmotivated, and ultimately less invested in driving the business forward.”

It can start with investing in employee assistance programs (EAPs), but the mental health and well-being journey should consider a wide spectrum of support. Mental health, physical health, social connection, and even financial health – an increasingly important area in today’s economy, with 95 percent of people believing it plays a large role in overall well-being – should be considered as part of a holistic approach. Discounted gym memberships, mindfulness apps, nutrition counselling, or social connection events are also part of the puzzle, with one important caveat. “It’s also about creating awareness and educating your teams on what’s available,” Bacik explains. “EAPs are often underutilized simply due to a lack of knowledge of what they provide and how to tap into them.” Creating an environment conducive to good mental health and well-being is also critical because while EAPs and well-being initiatives are fantastic, the day-to-day practices that might contribute to stress and burnout need to be addressed. Bacik recommends organizations approach programs from a full employee experience picture: do any parts of your existing processes or policies contradict what you’re trying to accomplish from a well-being perspective?

For example, many Gen X and millennials may experience caregiving demands from aging parents as well as children. If your workforce is comprised of people who have demanding home lives, it’s likely not a specific aspect of the EAP on its own will make a difference for them. Consider strategies that increase their control over when, where, and how they work – the ability to adjust hours, flexibility for in-office days, or fewer restrictions around vacation time – allowing them to navigate the push-and-pull priorities and alleviate that stress. Another example is hybrid workers, some of whom may feel

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