GrokTalk Blog

Open enrollment season is well underway and employers are searching for ways to support their employees' wellbeing. Many organizations may instinctively throw traditional wellness programs at their employees, but before you become one of them, consider this — a recent WTW survey found that though 80% of organizations offer traditional wellness programs, just over a quarter (30%) of employees actually utilize them. A 2023 Gallup report found that a lack of relevance and personalization were two major reasons for this underutilization. 

Veterans experience a wide range of mental health challenges, from anxiety and PTSD to sleep disorders and substance abuse. The numbers reveal a startling state of affairs: fewer than 50% of veterans in need receive mental health treatment after a tour of duty. Roughly 17 veterans die by suicide each day. 

Sixty-one percent of Americans say the 2024 election has negatively impacted their mental health, according to a recent Forbes survey. A little over a quarter — 28% — say it’s affecting their work performance. 

As the workforce’s needs grow more complex, many companies are responding by expanding their benefits packages.  But offering more benefits without a strategy isn’t the solution.  

According to new Grokker Innovation Labs research, the number of health and wellbeing point solutions employers offer is set to increase. Eighty-three percent of companies plan to increase their budgets for health and wellbeing programs over the next 12 months. Fifty-seven percent plan to increase the number of point solutions they offer. 

As open enrollment season approaches, it’s easy to get anxious about what lies ahead. Open enrollment is challenging enough on its own, and HR teams are under enough stress without the added workload open enrollment brings. More than two-thirds of HR leaders say that stress in general is on the rise. As HR deals with greater pressures around compliance and being a strategic business partner, open enrollment feels like yet another item on a to-do list that already feels too long. 

But you can get through this season and help your employees make informed benefits decisions with the right tactics. Here are five ways to make open enrollment easier this year. 

Mental health struggles like stress, burnout, and anxiety have become increasingly common among workers, and many employers are taking a proactive approach to addressing them. The most effective organizations focus on strategies that go beyond surface-level support and actually make a real difference in the lives of employees. They create safe environments where employees can feel supported and resilient in the face of their challenges. 

Here are five of the strategies these leading employers use to relieve employee stress.

Grokker is proud to announce the launch of GrokkyAi™. We’ve always led the way in revolutionizing employee wellbeing by building easily accessible, engaging, and expert-led programs. 

Grokky builds on those efforts by delivering real-time answers, beginning with the lowest acuity interventions, and lessening the burden on HR teams. 

Who doesn't have a heartfelt story about a teacher who noticed and encouraged an overlooked strength or offered extra care and time to ensure our success? Many of us light up at the memory of being seen and supported by a teacher in ways we didn't even know we needed. However, many of us didn't see as students and don't see now as adults the enormous stress, pressure and cumulative toll the rigors of teaching—and of caring—have on our educators. 

Exercise and nutrition aren’t just important for physical health— they both play a big role in mental health, too. Studies show that people who exercise regularly report having 1.5 less days of poor mental health compared to those who don’t exercise. Even walking can lessen the number of poor mental health days by 17%. With 95% of serotonin (a chemical that affects mood, sleep, digestion, and more) being created in the gut, it’s no wonder that a nutrient-dense diet plays a role in a person’s mental health. Likewise, mental illnesses like anxiety and depression have been linked to higher risks of diseases that affect our physical health such as diabetes, asthma, cardiovascular disease, and more. Here are a few ways fitness and nutrition affect mental health. 

One in five US adults struggle with mental illness. For many of them, this struggle occurs as they balance busy, often hectic schedules with family obligations, schooling, and work. World Mental Health Day was created to foster education about this very struggle, and to break down social stigmas surrounding illnesses like anxiety, depression, and more.

Grokker will attend the 25th annual IBI/Conference Board Health and Productivity Forum in just a few short weeks.

I am deeply grateful to all our Grokker members who inspired us to make employee mental health more approachable and accessible. And I am overwhelmed by the entire team at Grokker who worked tirelessly to create and launch our newest product — Grokker Guides.