Employees Know Too Little About Workplace Mental Health Offerings, Simple Communications Can Produce Positive Impacts for Them

Abstract

Employers are investing heavily in mental health (MH) support for workers, yet employees often do not know about these offerings, limiting their potential for impact. In this study, employees (n = 128) were asked to contact a knowledgeable company representative to confirm whether nine common MH offerings were available. Before and after this, employees reported their perceptions of their company and its MH climate. Results reveal that simply asking and receiving information about MH offerings improved employees’ views of their company. Employees who discovered more offerings, because they asked, reported improvements in their view of the company. This study indicates that simple, low-cost strategies boost awareness of existing benefits, which can in turn improve how employees see their workplace. With rewards and benefits often complex and costly, this study shows that small, targeted actions can enhance their value and impact.