Well-Being That (Actually) Works

Unmind provides organizations such as Major League Baseball with science-backed mental health support

-  Dr. Nick Taylor

IMAGINE BEING a chief human resources officer (CHRO). For years, you’ve known employee mental health matters. You’ve urged execs to invest in employee well-being—not as something “nice to have,” but embedded in an actual mental health strategy. Some CEOs got it instinctively. Others shrugged, or rolled out piecemeal perks, such as beanbags and meditation, or helplines no one ever used. Then Covid happened. Overnight, mental health went mainstream, every organization took action, and those remaining CEOs became converts to the cause. This signified progress, sort of.

Awareness without insight is often pointless. Corporate wellness schemes have soared, but without a reliable read on the tangible impact for staff or the business, leaders are forced to judge success by anecdotal data. Or worse, gut feeling. It’s why so many well-being initiatives are short-lived. Besides, in times of big losses, squeezed budgets and job cuts, taking on-site yoga off the balance sheet seems smart.