Yes; mental health concerns are among the reasons people are quitting their jobs in record numbers — especially younger employees who are leaving jobs they do not believe support their mental well-being. Millennials and Gen Z workers value a healthy company culture and work-life balance more than earlier generations and are changing jobs in search of better benefits that support their emotional wellness. Yet, this group is less aware of their employer-sponsored benefits than their older coworkers.

To address this trend and retain key employees, companies should explicitly support mental health and offer a comprehensive suite of benefits by doing the following:

• Initiate the discussion about behavioral health, including embracing direct conversations on difficult topics such as anxiety, depression, suicidality, problem alcohol use, and drug abuse.
• Have company leaders actively participate in the dialogue to demonstrate the importance of employee well-being and their support for HR.
• Communicate via multiple channels including mobile-friendly short-text explanations and brief videos — which are essential for reaching younger workers — and profile-based scenarios/user stories that are more engaging than the long lists of features and legalese of traditional benefit booklets.
• Monitor the emotional health of the workforce through pulse surveys and one-on-one discussions to identify signs of employee burnout or disengagement.
• Take concrete actions to address concerns as soon as they are identified.

Employers should also partner with their vendors to integrate all their benefit offerings. This helps to ensure that all employees get access to the support they need — without significant barriers — while avoiding the risk of workers falling through the cracks and becoming disengaged from their employer.