Comprehensive benefits packages—and managers who know how to use them—can go a long way in supporting employee health and wellbeing.
When facing a crisis, employees may overlook the wealth of resources available to them through their group benefits packages. That was the experience of Michelle Wegner, Director Digital & Marketing at Empire Life. Having worked in the benefits industry for nearly 20 years, Wegner was well versed in her company’s various plans and her communications team regularly encouraged plan sponsors to talk about them with their employees. Yet, when she suddenly found herself trying to help a close family member through a mental health crisis, she didn’t think to tap into her own benefits.
It’s not as if Wegner hadn’t used them in the past. Shortly after joining Empire Life in 2020, Wegner was feeling the strain of dealing with the pandemic and two senior parents, one of whom was not doing well with the isolation. “I felt scared, as did many at that time, it wasn’t a mental health crisis for me,” says Wegner. “I suspected it was general anxiety and wanted to understand the appropriate steps for my care.”
Wegner connected with Mental Health Navigator, one of the health navigation services included in her Empire Life benefits package. The service put her in touch with a virtual therapist, who confirmed her diagnosis and provided her with a treatment plan. “It was such a wonderful gift to have someone navigate me through this period and, looking back, I realize that if I had not taken advantage of this service, I wouldn’t have been as prepared to deal with what was to come a few years later,” she says.
Navigating loved one through mental health system
Fast forward to the summer of 2023. Wegner found herself trying to help a loved one with a serious mental illness. “One of the biggest obstacles to them getting care was stigma and, unfortunately, they didn’t have access to mental health navigation services like I did,” says Wegner. “I was staying up late at night researching the internet, trying to figure out how to have the conversation with them, and get them to proper diagnosis and care.”
Reflecting on that difficult time, Wegner realizes she already had what she needed. “I had the blueprint of what I needed to do to navigate through this, but in that moment of crisis, I forgot about what I had access to.” It was through conversations with her own leader, Vanessa Lycos, Vice-President, Group Product & Marketing, that Wegner was gently reminded. “She was very attentive, empathetic, and suggested I connect with the employee assistance program,” says Wegner. She did just that and the advice paid off. “Instead of spending hours online, I was able to get the information I needed by reaching out to them.” she says. From then on, the heavy load Wegner had been carrying started to lift.
The costs of mental health to people, companies and the Canadian economy
Mental health supports play an increasingly important role in employee benefits packages and for good reason. According to a 2022 Report by Statistics Canada, more than 5 million (18%) Canadians aged 15 and older meet the diagnostic criteria for mood, anxiety, or substance use disorder in the previous 12 months1 and the number of Canadians struggling with mental health has grown more than 13% annually since 2016.2
Empire Life has witnessed this trend internally. Mental health disability claims have steadily increased in the past decade and represent more than a third of all disability claims3.
Use of employee assistance programs has doubled in the last five years with mental health counselling representing just under 50% of all requested consultations.4
The burden of mental illness is felt not only in the suffering of the affected people and their families, but to companies through absenteeism, presenteeism and lost productivity.
Additionally, when people don’t get the help they need, their problems can grow resulting in having to take extended time off work. The cost of a disability absence due to mental illness is about double the cost of leave due to physical illness.5 At the broader economic level, it’s estimated that mental illness costs Canada an estimated $51 billion each year, including $16 billion in lost productivity.6
Mental health supports deliver return on investment
Having mental health supports in the workplace can prove beneficial not only to plan members but also plan sponsors. For example, companies that take measures to support employee well-being have seen their productivity improve by an average of 13%.7
Research shows that workplace mental health programs can also enhance the bottom line. For example, according to a Deloitte study, the mean return on investment (ROI) on mental health programs was $1.62 for every dollar spent on programs that had been in place for one year. For those in place for three or more years, the ROI was $2.18 per dollar spent, suggesting added returns as these programs mature.8
Empire Life’s benefits and tools help navigate mental health care
The Empire Life Insurance Company is heavily invested in employee mental health and well-being, offering several services through its benefits plans. “We try to mirror the Empire culture within our product suite, which encourages open dialogue about mental health,” says Wegner. “It’s not just about creating a benefits plan that includes mental health services but having leadership that is committed to their employees’ well-being and is prepared to have these conversations, as I can attest through my own personal experience.”
Among the services included in Empire’s benefits package is Mental Health Navigator which offers easy access to expert assessment and caring support. Another is Teladoc Medical Experts which helps to direct people with mainly physical health conditions to the right doctors, but includes mental health supports, recognizing the impact that physical conditions can have on mental health. Teladoc also has a health navigation feature that can provide information on medications and drugs.
For plan members without a family physician, Empire’s Telemedicine provides 24/7 virtual access to physicians and/or nurse practitioners in Canada who can prescribe or refill medications for a variety of conditions. These health-care providers are also trained to identify and respond to signs of mental distress, flag potential health needs and help the employee navigate to the right supports. Medical Confidence can facilitate patient access to optimal and timely specialist care and may help reduce time to see a specialist—critical to getting proper diagnosis and treatment. Finally, Empire’s optional employee assistance program, AssistNow EAP provided by Kii Health, offers 24/7 access to a wide range of tools and resources, including confidential counselling, mental health programs, wellness services, caregiver resources and crisis response services.
Better manager education and continuous dialogue needed
A recent study by the Workforce Institute reports that managers have as much impact on people’s mental health as their spouse and more of an impact than their doctor or therapist. “Since they are likely the first people to notice if an employee is experiencing a decline, it’s incumbent on leaders to have that conversation and understand what services are available,” says Wegner. “We must commit to increasing this dialogue.”
Jennifer McGregor, Vice-President of Human Resources, says Empire Life is creating new conversations through its employee resource groups (ERGs) like Caregivers@Empire, sponsored by its President and CEO Mark Sylvia. “We believe these groups help foster deeper connections and create a space where employees can truly come to work as themselves,” says McGregor, adding that Caregivers@Empire is a perfect example of this philosophy in action. “People bring their whole selves to work, and for some of us, that means coming to work with caregiving responsibilities. It’s been wonderful to participate, open up the conversation on that topic and share mental health support resources available through our own benefits program,” she says. “Our ERGs play a vital role in cultivating our culture of belonging.”
Along with being educated on the services, leaders should also know how to have empathic conversations with employees. “While we communicate about our services with our plan sponsors and encourage them to talk about them with their employees, nothing can replace the power of human connection,” says Lycos. Wegner agrees. “The connection and patience my leader showed were critical to grounding me and getting me to a place where I could navigate my loved one through the mental healthcare system more effectively,” she says.
Now that Wegner is a leader herself, she makes a point of being extra attentive and attune with her employees’ needs and how to talk to them about mental health. “Given that one in three Canadians will experience a mental health illness in their lifetime,9 the likelihood of a workplace leader having this kind of conversation is high,” says Wegner.
To better prepare, Wegner recently completed mental health first aid standard training through Opening Minds – Mental Health Commission of Canada facilitated by Mental Health Trainer. “This is a fantastic course which I highly recommend,” says Wegner. “It gives you the basics of how to create a safe space to have a conversation with someone who may be displaying signs of mental decline or crisis and steer them to the services available to them, which are key to proper diagnosis and early intervention.”
Embedded and ongoing dialogue critical
Whether it’s an employee’s individual struggle with mental illness or addiction, or someone facing the pressures of caring for someone with a mental illness, Wegner believes the dialogue on mental health in the workplace needs to be embedded and ongoing. “When I think of the workplace of the future, I envision a healthy workforce where leadership prioritizes their employees’ well-being and conversations around mental health and reducing stigma are normalized,” she says.
Learn more about how Empire Life supports mental health.
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