SVP at GroupHealth Benefit Solutions outlines cost-effective methods to help plan sponsors deal with the "most depressing of the day of the year"
Today marks Blue Monday, supposedly the most depressing day of the year. Daylight is limited, the nights are cold, and many people prefer to stay indoors and inactive, which can create feelings of malaise and isolation.
The concept of Blue Monday started in 2005 when a UK-based travel company – Porter Novelli - claimed it had carried out calculations based on weather and other conditions in the Northern Hemisphere and determined this Monday as the saddest day of the year. While this is often dismissed as a marketing gimmick, Canadians are certainly feeling the winter blues.
That’s why Lindsey Gage-Cole, senior vice president at GROUPHealth Benefit Solutions, asserts employers need to reinvest in their mental health benefits. After all, workplace culture, productivity, and even employee retention have long been tied to mental health initiatives. As she says, it’s ultimately about “caring for the people.”
“As employers and businesses, we’re only successful through our people. We often see high turnover, lower productivity, and impacts to culture, which can make it hard to come to work. If the culture isn’t there to support people, implementing proactive strategies around mental health is the answer to minimizing the impact and prevalence it has right now,” she says, highlighting the most cost-effective solution is creating mindful connections, acknowledging the prevalence and impact mental health has on businesses.
Gage-Cole explains that allotment for mental health services within sponsored benefit plans varies depending on a plan sponsors budget as these are not amounts usually set out by providers. “Maybe a plan has a $500 max on a paramedical or a psychology line,” she highlights, as an example. “You really want to get focused into the ancillary pieces around that. As a business, it costs us nothing to extend plans, which can go a long way. It might prevent somebody from needing to spend [more] by simply trying to be proactive upfront as a business,” she says.
Additionally, addressing mental health isn’t cheap or easy. Gage-Cole acknowledges the financial pressure employers face when providing robust mental health resources. “You’ve got the rising number of claims, but you also have the rising cost of accessing it,” she says, noting that the hourly rates for mental health professionals have climbed significantly in recent years.
Canada faces a prevalence of mental health challenges as Gage-Cole notes that by age 40, 1 in 2 individuals have or have had a mental illness, and each year, 1 in 5 Canadians experience a mental health issue. Yet, 75 per cent of people are reluctant to disclose their mental struggles.
Recent research released by the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) also found more than half (57 per cent) of people aged 18-24 who had early signs of a mental illness said that cost was an obstacle to getting mental health services. Chief to this, only 50 per cent of people with mental health disabilities are employed and a significant number who aren’t employed depend on income supports that keep them in poverty.
“As an organization, you need to create an environment of advocacy where discussion feels safe,” adds Gage-Cole. “As a leader, leading with empathy and a level of vulnerability is key. I have to be able to show that I am one of those 1 in 2 or the 1 in 5. It all starts with normalizing that we have emotions. That's an equal level playing field.”
Practical steps for normalizing mental health simply include integrating conversations about it into daily routines, providing employees with accessible tools and resources, and tailoring solutions to meet the unique needs of an organization’s workforce, Gage-Cole says. “Good leadership has you doing check-ins, moving beyond engagement with tasks, and making space for mindful connections. If you can understand your employee base through these connections, it helps you tailor the tools and resources you provide.”
These resources don’t always need to come at high costs either. Gage-Cole pointed to evolving Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) as an example. While traditional EAPs provide access to mental health professionals, she emphasized the value of newer, more integrated platforms that offer additional tools like self-guided internet-based cognitive behavioural therapy (iCBT) and support for elder care or adolescent care. And for employers looking to invest in mental health without breaking the bank, wellness plans can be another effective option.
Gage-Cole described these as “taxable benefits” where employers set aside a specific dollar amount for employees to use toward wellness activities like gym memberships, yoga, or even green fees for golf. She notes that small touches, like covering the cost of hiking gear or gym footwear, can make a big difference in promoting healthier lifestyles.
“It opens up opportunities to expand wellness in general, they're just ingredients to the overall recipe,” she says. “The best thing that we can do [as employers] is for employees to come into work and know that there’s a line they can call and there's a benefit they can use to support them in their space. Now, work has become a safe space for the and it's helping them in other areas of their lives.”
