Employee Wellbeing To ensure employee wellbeing, organizations will focus on mental health, human-centric workplaces and benefits delivery. While efforts to improve employee health, career and financial situations are essential elements to a successful benefits strategy, employers will pay extra attention to mental health and work environments to help employee wellbeing in 2025. The U.S. has an ongoing mental health crisis: Anxiety affects 42.5 million Americans, and 41% are dealing with upscale the use of digital platforms, improving patient an untreated mental illness. Mental health crises lead to 60 comfort in using such tools and allaying privacy issues. million visits to primary care and 6 million to emergency 16 Another way to improve wellbeing is through “human- rooms each year. centric” workplaces that emphasize flexible work, There’s also enormous productivity and retention issues collaboration and empathetic management. Doing so will with burnout. Nearly 45% of workers feel burned out and boost group cohesiveness and help reduce stress and are three times more likely to be looking for another job 21 burnout. 17 than employees who aren’t feeling burned out. These conditions underscore how claims and cost data And mental health isn’t just a productivity or compassion can be a powerful tool in uncovering overall wellness issue, but also a financial one. Behavioral health is a major trends in the workforce and identifying gaps in access and healthcare expense — and four out of five employers benefits equity. Combined with a deep understanding of are seeing an increase in utilization of behavioral health the workforce, employers will have the guidance they need 18 benefits. to maximize employee wellness. Employers cannot simply depend on employee assistance plans (EAP), which typically cover a limited number of 16. The Zebra, “Mental Health Statistics,” July 26, 2024. therapy visits and are often underutilized. 17. SHRM, “Here’s How Bad Burnout Has Become at Work,” April 30, 2024. The high cost of therapy, combined with a shortage of 18. HR Executive, “How priorities for employee benefits are shifting in 19 has made access a problem 2025,” August 20, 2024. mental health professionals, even for employers with generous mental health benefits. 19. Health Resources & Services Administration, “Health Resource And due to a patchwork of state regulations, some health Projections,” March 2024. 20 often used to 20. NPR, “Insurers can restrict mental health care. What laws protect insurers may not cover online therapy, patients in your state?” August 27, 2024. improve access. 21. Gartner, “Gartner Research Shows Human-Centric Work Models Boosts Employee Performance and Other Key Talent Outcomes,” Digital platforms that combine telepsychiatry, digital December 7, 2022. therapeutics and wellness apps to help manage stress and anxiety are emerging and show promise. Employers can 6