By Catie George, Director, Communications & Storytelling
Increasingly, employees are looking to their workplaces to support both their physical and mental well-being.
“Studies show that 46% of employees report that mental health struggles affect their ability to focus at work, and one in five employees have left their organization due to the impact of mental health on their work performance,” said Managing Director of Audit Services at Grant Thornton LLP Pat Andrews-Osula, quoting the 2024 State of Workforce Mental Health Report. “The increasing prevalence of mental health challenges and their significant impact on the workplace played a key role in launching the wellness program at our Dallas office.”
At the time Andrews-Osula began developing a mental health program for Grant Thornton, there were no company-wide wellness programs focused on this topic. The wellness program in Dallas launched via a six-week pilot in spring 2024.
“The pilot was open to employees of all levels—from associates to partners—across different service lines and internal functions. We explored a range of topics, including gratitude, compassion, and vulnerability, among others,” said Andrews-Osula. “The program saw strong participation, with a diverse group of employees across different levels, service lines, ethnicities, and genders.”
The program was led by Andrews-Osula in conjunction with other Grant Thornton professionals and an HR representative. At the end of the six-week pilot program, which included both in-person and virtual meetings, a survey showed overwhelmingly positive feedback, with many participants expressing strong support for continuing the program.
“What sets this program apart is its emphasis on mental health — a subject many find difficult to discuss openly. To make the conversation more comfortable and inclusive, we designed the program in an informal, conversational format, fostering open dialogue on wellness topics that are relevant to everyone.”
The conversation-based meetings focused on a wellness topic each week, such as compassion, kindness, and gratitude, and allowed participants to ask questions about the topics. Each meeting ended with meditation or breath work and a takeaway wellness challenge for the participants related to the week’s topic.
Andrews-Osula said that even though Grant Thornton is still in the early days of its wellness journey, there are already positive outcomes.
“Employees are becoming more open about discussing their mental health challenges, and participation in wellness events and competitions has been strong. Moreover, leadership’s growing support for wellness is evident, with the introduction of firm-wide wellness initiatives and benefits, such as new ‘Appreciation Days’ during both the summer and the holiday season.”
She also emphasized that all companies can see numerous benefits from prioritizing mental health for their employees.
“It is a priority that no company can afford to overlook if it wants to stay competitive and successful. Mental health challenges are costing organizations worldwide billions of dollars in lost productivity, making it crucial for organizations to recognize the value of nurturing healthy, happy employees,” said Andrews-Osula. “Research highlights several key advantages of robust wellness programs, including reduced health costs for employees, lower employee absenteeism rates, decreased stress levels overall, [and] improved employee morale.”
Companies cannot afford to wait for wellness challenges to impact their bottom line. Organizations should start evaluating their current employee wellness offerings today and consider partnering with wellness experts to develop comprehensive programs that address both physical and mental health needs.