Employees are feeling the mental strain.
And that's motivating a significant number of workers to take time off. According to mental health services provider ComPsych,
Under the Family and Medical Leave Act, employees are entitled to 12 weeks of unpaid leave if they're experiencing a serious health condition or have to care for a sick loved one. Severe mental health conditions can qualify employees for short-term disability, which typically covers at least a portion of the wages.
In other words, an increasing number of workers are willing to forgo at least some of their pay to take time away from their job. For Dr. Jennifer Birdsall, licensed clinical psychologist and clinical director at ComPsych, it's clear workers have reached their breaking point, and for a good number of reasons.
"There are increased chronic stressors we are facing as a nation and across the world: the pandemic, civil unrest and community violence, an unpredictable economy and a polarized political environment," says Dr. Birdsall. "We've seen an increase in personal stressors, such as caregiving. There's so much contributing to those feelings of [being] burned out and overwhelmed."
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Providing strong wellness benefits is just one small way that employers can help support employees and ensure they are taking care of themselves. But picking the right wellness perks to provide can be tricky. These offerings need to go beyond the standard health insurance plans and include services that help workers feel good and manage their daily responsibilities.
When incorporated correctly, benefits such as gym access, mindfulness resources and flexibility can improve employees' lives.
"My team started using gym subsidies three years ago, and most still take advantage," says one professional who is the founder of a weight loss company. "The benefit means fewer sick days, better moods and efficiency, and client retention and referrals are higher when employees feel and perform their best. The benefit costs money, but the ROI in productivity, loyalty and healthcare savings outweighs it."
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Helping working parents solve child care concerns is another way to help lighten the mental load, even if it's just a little bit. This issue can be especially difficult for new parents returning to the office after parental leave. Because of that, some experts, such as Priya Krishnan, chief digital and transformation officer at Bright Horizons, believe employers must support workers in this area.
"Child care and supports are a critical area that working families and employees look for," Krishnan says.
"So what kind of supports can employers provide during this time to ensure that the affordability of the care exists? And we are a big proponent of employers providing this support because this is a two-way street. I mean, a successful relationship comes from employers having happy employees in the workplace and employees getting the supports from employers," she adds.
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Finally, each year working parents have to adjust their routine and child care needs as schools start back up. Understandably, the transition between summer and the first week of school is rarely easy.
UrbanSitter, an online service that connects parents to trusted
"After-school care is one of the trickiest types of care to find because you're looking for somebody who is okay working a limited number of hours a week but consistently," says Lynn Perkins, CEO of UrbanSitter. "You're looking for that needle in a haystack, but that kind of schedule doesn't always align with what people are looking for from part-time opportunities."
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