January has a bad rep for being the most depressing month of the year. It’s not hard to see why: Christmas festivities have given way to depleted bank balances, difficult New Year’s Resolutions and cold, wet weather.
With that in mind, there’s never been a better time to talk all things mental health. Offering mental health benefits to your employees is an effective way to keep them happy, healthy and motivated all year round. But how do you know where to find the best benefits? This is your guide to the top mental health benefits providers, so you can keep your team’s wellbeing in tip-top shape.
What are mental health benefits?
Mental health benefits are a way for employers to show that they care about their staff’s wellbeing. In fact, 84% of employers planned to improve or increase their mental health benefits offering in 2023. There are lots of different benefits available, depending which providers you opt for.
One of the most popular is therapy or counselling. This gives employees the chance to be heard and to have someone objective listen to their worries or concerns. You could provide EAP services, for example, which generally include assessment, short-term counselling and referral services for employees and their immediate family.
A more light-touch approach could be to offer meditation app subscriptions, to Headspace or Calm for instance, to help your team through mindfulness and guided meditation.
A concept championed by start-ups, but now widely accepted among bigger companies too, is time off for mental health days. These are sometimes known as ‘duvet days’ or ‘personal days’ and allow an employee to take the day off if they’re struggling mentally, just as they would if they were physically ill.
How to choose a mental health benefit provider
Firstly, you probably want a provider that meets the needs of all of your employees, so finding one with a broad spectrum of services is key. There’s no one size fits all approach to mental health and every individual is unique. Check what the provider offers before you commit – you could even ask your employees what’s most important to them so you know where to start.
Secondly, be sure to read the reviews. This will give you a flavour of the kind of service you’ll be getting, from customer service response times to the quality of the provider. Once you’ve shortlisted the providers you’re interested in, use a site like Trustpilot to get an honest insight into each of them. Ask around as well, this will help you find out which tools come highly recommended.
Last but not least, make sure the offering falls within your budget. You might have to set a limit on the number of services an individual can access – or how often – in order to make it affordable. But remember that the right mental health benefits provider should actually save you money, whether through higher employee productivity or fewer sick days taken.
As well as partnering with a mental health provider, why not create your own mental wellbeing programme too? Learn which behaviours to look out for in your employees, how to offer manager training, open up the floor to difficult conversations, and much more.
The top 8 mental health benefits providers in the UK
These are just some of the mental health benefits providers we recommend here at Ben:
Unmind
Unmind uses clinical, organisational and positive psychology to get under the skin of your company, pinpoint wellbeing challenges and empower your people with the right care, at the right time. Staff can access on-demand wellbeing tools, proactive therapy and additional support resources, all from one provider. And the results speak for themselves: 71% of Unmind participants reported a reduction in stress levels
Oliva
Oliva is proud to be the UK and Europe’s #1 rated employee mental wellbeing benefit. The team empowers your people to tackle the root causes of issues, from burnout to anxiety and anger. A massive 98% of employees say Oliva has improved their mental health, and the company gets an impressive five stars on Google.
Plumm
Plumm offers human-centric mental health and HR solutions that work. With round-the-clock support from virtual assistant EMMA, Plumm’s solutions are sustainable and scalable, supporting your workforce wherever they are on their personal journey. And with over 200 accredited therapists and specialised coaches (fluent in over 34 languages) you can be sure that you’re getting fully global support.
Mindstep
Built by doctors, Mindstep is the employer’s #1 solution to brain fog, which can be a big issue among employees. All staff need to do is take an assessment and discover 120+ support tools. Over 200,000 users have completed an assessment and 67% show an improvement in anxiety and 55% report feeling a cognitive benefit so far.
BetterHelp
BetterHelp is the world's largest therapy service, and it’s 100% online. Tap into a vast network of credentialled and experienced therapists who can help your employees with a range of issues including depression, anxiety, relationships, trauma, grief and more. Employees get matched with a therapist within 24 hours, and as a business you only pay for what you use. 73% of users reported improved depression symptoms after just six weeks using BetterHelp.
Sanctus
Sanctus offers flexible, always-on coaching for employees to work through daily worries, develop healthier approaches, and gain new tools and perspectives for work and life. Pick a package that suits your people, invite employees to book slots and help them work towards any challenge or goal they might have. Sanctus Coaches are trained to make sure your people are functioning to the best of their ability, so it’s a win-win for them and you.
Headspace
With Headspace, you can empower your global organisation with industry-leading mental healthcare, including a full EAP replacement, therapy, psychiatry services, coaching and mindfulness. Plus, employees get access to content to feel clearer, calmer, and sharper in everyday life. As a business, you’ll also unlock access to live webinars, workshops and manager training sessions.
Calm
Calm believes that the future of work relies on a mentally healthy workforce, which is why they use a mix of individual and group settings to develop effective mental wellness habits that continuously support your employees’ learning and exploration. Employees can enjoy mindful in-app sessions and expert-led Calm Workshops to help navigate difficult situations, as well as access support for the whole family.
Need a hand picking the right mental health benefits provider for your business? Ben can help by connecting you to our extensive broker network to find the right offering for your needs. You choose a provider that works for your budget, and your team gets to choose the benefits that matter most to them. Get any benefit – from mental to physical and financial wellbeing – and make it flexible, all without the painful admin. Book a demo now to see how we can help.