Your team’s mental well-being is likely one of your top priorities heading into 2025, and for good reason. Companies prioritizing employee mental health report 23% greater productivity and 33% higher profitability than their peers. If that isn’t convincing enough, employees with access to mental health resources are 4 times more likely to be productive and 2.5 times more likely to remain with their employer.
The total cost per employee with depression or anxiety is approximately CAD$11,000 per year. This includes absenteeism at $6,600 per employee and presenteeism (reduced productivity while at work) at $4,400 per employee (Source).
So, the business case is solid for mental health support for your employees. This is why organizations come to us for done-for-you workplace wellness programs that support employee mental health.
We believe several factors influence mental health, some of which includes nutrition, movement (exercise), and mindset. (You can read more about nutrition and movement’s impact on mental health here.) We also know that you need to provide different options for different employees so that there’s something that appeals to everyone.
Keep in mind our programs are customizable and based on the priorities for your business. Below is an example of what an engaging, full-year mental well-being program could look like.
Employees’ interest in their health peaks in the New Year, making it the perfect time to kick off your mental well-being program with a bang. "We kick off the program with a wellness challenge because it drives strong engagement and boosts registration numbers. When mental health is the priority, examples of the weekly themes we’d cover in the program could include Eating For Energy, The Gut-Brain Connection, Supporting Mindset Through the Winter Months, and Building Resilience.
Since the pandemic, loneliness in the workplace (or the virtual workplace) is at an all-time high. >80% of those who participate in our wellness challenge report feeling more connected to their colleagues, a key factor in mental health.
In our wellness challenges, 98% of participants were more active – this is also a crucial statistic in supporting mental health as regular physical activity is associated with a significantly lower risk of depression. The study found that people who exercised for 150 minutes per week or more had a 25% lower risk of developing depression compared to those who did not exercise.
In February, we’ll educate employees on how the food they eat impacts their mental health, with the lunch and learn Busting Stress & Boosting Happiness, Through Nutrition. Employees learn:
In the HEAL Wellness Platform (our app), the theme is also nutrition to support mental health. Each week, there is a new resource. An example is our guide on Vitamins & Nutrients for Brain Health.
In March, our resident psychotherapist will host Mental Health & Wellbeing 101 either in person or virtually. In this session, participants will:
Over on the app, the focus is on gratitude and the science behind this simple five-minute practice. We have employees practice gratitude daily for 2 weeks, keeping them accountable in the HEAL Wellness Platform. They receive a daily journal prompt and reminders to do the exercise.
I always enjoy these presentations, you break things down so they are easy to understand and to follow. With great tips and new suggestions, there's always something new to learn. After that, it's up to you to put those new tools to work! - Employee at Odlum Brown
The month of April brings a focus on mindfulness, a powerful tool shown to reduce stress. According to a review published in the journal Clinical Psychology Review, individuals who regularly engage in mindfulness practices experience a 26% reduction in symptoms of anxiety, depression, and stress.
Employees receive a variety of mindfulness videos and resources they can use and are challenged (and rewarded) to build a 5-minute daily mindfulness practice into their daily routine.
May is Mental Health Month and we host the second workshop by our resident psychotherapist called Self Talk & Mental Health. This workshop agenda is powerful as employees learn a practical tool to stop negative self-talk in its tracks:
Remember, this program is designed to be as hands-off as you want it to be.
This was great! A quick but thorough exploration of the how's and why's of nutrition affecting us day to day. The presenter made it really easy to see and understand how simple decisions about food can affect us on a much larger scale. She was incredibly knowledgeable, and very thoughtful with each response. - Employee at Zulu Alpha Kilo
In June, we switch up our focus to look more at the physiological side of stress and mental health, with The Cortisol Connection, a popular lunch and learn topic from one of our resident Naturopaths. This session explains:
In July, with the summer weather, we focus on movement and its impact on mental well-being. From full workout programs to one-off workout videos to ways to make walking more fun, our app has many ways to meet employees where they’re at, and then motivate them to move their body more. With gift-card prizes and rewards, more than 90% of participants are more active with our programming.
September is all about self-care. We host the lunch and learn called The 5 Key Factors in Self-Care. In this session, participants learn:
Through the app, employees are given resources to personalize self-care to what works for them. For example, an introvert’s self-care will look very different to an extrovert’s. While self-care can sound fluffy, individuals who engage in regular self-care practices (such as physical activity, adequate sleep, and relaxation techniques) report a higher resilience score compared to those who do not engage in self-care.
October is our second wellness challenge of the year. Themes could include Work-life Balance, Stress & Sleep, Food & Mood, and Mindfulness.
This program gets incredible engagement and our new clients are always surprised how many employees participate.Through the combination of education, team accountability and motivation, and gift-card rewards for participation, these challenges make meaningful mental health improvements to your workforce.
You can learn more about our wellness challenges here.
With the shorter days, our November lunch and learn is Optimizing Sleep. In this workshop, employees learn:
Then, in the HEAL Wellness Platform (app), employees have resources like body-scan meditations to wind down, sleep trackers to improve quality and duration of sleep, along with a guide to herbs to improve sleep.
To close off the year and with the focus on holiday parties, the theme to support mental health is around Mindful Living throughout the Holidays.
Finally, it’s worth nothing that you may also have other exisitng mental health resources available to your employees. When this is the case, we’ll link them into our programs so that employees are reminded of what’s available to them. For example, let’s say that counseling is covered on their benefits plan. During the Mental Health and Wellbeing 101 webinar, the presenter can share links and resources to the counseling that is covered.
In conclusion, you can see that this program offers multiple touchpoints and a combination of individual and team-based activities to support employees’ mental wellbeing, so that engagement, retention and productivity remain high.
When put into practice, a full-year wellness program could look like two wellness challenges at the most engaging times of the year, quarterly lunch & learns, plus regular app content based on the seasons and your company's internal priorities.
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