GrokTalk Blog

World Mental Health Day is Sunday, October 10, and people from around the globe will be participating in activities that raise awareness of mental health issues and help mobilize efforts in support of mental health. Mobilization is paramount: people need support for their mental health — and that support can and should come from a variety of sources, including the workplace.

We all thought it would be over by now. The pandemic, the disruption, the uncertainty. But here we are, 18 months in, and we're still not quite sure what surprises or setbacks are around the next corner. While we're making progress towards getting back to "normal," we're feeling tired and unmotivated, struggling to feel like our old selves. As a result of everything — the relentlessness of everything — senior managers are desperate to help their employees, bring them together, and give them something they can count on.

That's where our new 30-day program, the Employee C.A.R.E. Package, comes in.

There has been a recent rise in employee absenteeism and employee dissatisfaction that is negatively affecting several aspects of the workplace, including employee engagement, morale, loyalty, and productivity, among others.

Many of today’s industry-leading organizations implemented policies and programs to enhance the quality of life of their talented team members. But one of the missing elements involves communicating the underlying reasons why decision-makers are investing in their workforce. By crafting and publishing a wellness vision statement that inspires people to participate, that rising tide of compassion raises all ships.

Offering employees benefit packages has emerged as something of a standard practice. Organizational leaders remain keenly aware that common benefits are necessary to attract and maintain a robust talent pool. That’s generally because team members understand that the company considers their contributions valuable, and these perks add to the quality of their life.

For all of the challenges and difficulties of the COVID-19 pandemic — lock downs, lost loved ones, a looming sense of uncertainty, and dramatic changes to our daily lives and work lives — there are a lot of learning lessons and silver linings that industry leaders are tapping into. One of these is the ability to speak openly about, and recognize the importance of, mental health and wellbeing in the workplace and with all of your diverse members.

In the height of the digital era, we often hear discussion about the advent of technological advancements, AI and machine learning, and trends toward automation. What we hear less about, however, are important social changes that affect work life, like generational gaps in the workplace. 

While telehealth options have become more and more popular throughout the last decade, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused a huge surge in telehealth activity. Between March and April of 2021, telehealth plans saw a 41% increase, surging an already steadily growing industry. 

It’s important to have a holistic approach to diversity and inclusivity in the workplace, which means that organizations need to focus on all aspects of diversity. This includes race, gender, ethnicity, culture, and disabilities, among others.

One positive impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has to do with something most people can get behind: pet ownership. Surveys carried out in December 2020 showed that 10% of respondents in the United States said that they had recently acquired a new pet, which was an increase from just 6% earlier that year. 

In 2021, following a decade of social movements ranging from The #MeToo movement and Black Lives Matter to the legalization of same sex marriage, it’s not enough to simply state that you’re an ally and call it a day. 

We often talk about a shared company culture that employees can identify with and embrace, but we hardly talk about the benefits of promoting individuality as part of that company culture.