Workplace wellness initiatives are on the rise, but not all benefits have the same impact on emotional well-being and mental health. SIX empowers employees to manage emotional fitness -- which yields positive results for individuals and employers.
In 2022, several states in Australia passed laws requiring that workplaces prove that they are emotionally healthy for employees. Similar legislation is being evaluated in several US states. But, there is a dilemma here: is mental health the responsibility of the employee or employer?
The answer is both. From the employer perspective, creating an emotionally healthy workplace transcends mere compliance; it’s a strategic advantage that generates a positive return. My own research, as shared in my 2017 book Trust Factor and in a Harvard Business Review article, has shown that psychologically healthy workplaces are more productive and innovative, create greater job satisfaction, have less job turnover, and benefit from reduced health care costs.
Employers seem to be getting the message, as corporate wellness initiatives are on the rise. As reported in the Wall Street Journal, the number of large US companies that made new investments in mental health benefits doubled between 2019 and 2023. The Journal also noted that approximately one-third of U.S. employers offer a “digital therapeutic” tool for mental health support, with the number of businesses offering this benefit growing.
However, these wellness resources may inadvertently add to the burdens employees face. Will those who are suffering emotionally be motivated to exert the effort to use these benefits? Can they use mental health services when they are on the clock or do they need permission from a supervisor to take time off? The efficacy and impact of these solutions is still undetermined, even as their necessity becomes more apparent. Nearly one in five US adults will experience at least one bout of clinical depression in their lifetimes. Depression often leads to social withdrawal, eroding willingness and capacity to seek assistance. This isolation can exacerbate the very symptoms these benefits aim to mitigate.
Luckily, there is a solution. Visionary employers are offering employees a continuous and objective way to measure and manage emotional health as part of their benefit package. Immersion created our emotional fitness app, SIX, to fill this important need. SIX is a predictive neurologic indicator of emotional health with actionable insights that empower individuals to manage and increase emotional well-being. Just like exercising builds physical fitness, the SIX app shows users how to build emotional fitness, helping them avoid symptoms of depression and anxiety disorders.
The world needs a proactive mental health solution. This is why we are offering the basic version of the SIX emotional fitness app for free to individual users. Building emotional fitness is the responsibility of both employers and employees, and SIX objectively shows if workplaces are emotionally healthy. Moreover, SIX privately prompts employees to utilize emotional wellness resources when they are needed so they can maintain their energy, engagement in life, and ultimately, fully experience the joy of living. Those are benefits everyone should have. Download the app, and try it today!