How the insurance industry can prioritize mental health

With Mental Health Awareness Month approaching in May, it’s critical to consider how employers can contribute to promoting wellness in the insurance industry.

Post-COVID remote work has allowed employees to work from home, blurring the lines between their professional tasks and their personal lives. This change, coupled with the inherently customer service-oriented nature of insurance, can lead to increased stress levels for professionals.

Newfront executives Robyn Cross, vice president, wellness practice lead, and Linde Hotchkiss, executive vice president and regional managing director, spoke with Insurance business to provide insight into how employers can prioritize work-life balance for their teams.

Employee Resource Groups and Mental Health Days

While remote working offers flexibility, Cross (pictured above left) pointed out its downside, saying: “There is value in remote working, because it means we can design our day-to-day around our individual needs, but the consequence of that is, then work can come with you everywhere.”

She added that disconnecting from work can be a challenge, especially for those in customer-facing roles like insurance.

“We care about our customers. So there’s a part of us that doesn’t want to get too far away from work, because we want to be able to be of service,” Cross said.

To help employees cope with the stress of balancing personal and work responsibilities, fostering a culture of empathy and understanding is crucial.

Hotchkiss (pictured above right) emphasized the need for employers to adapt to new work styles, which may not fit the traditional 9-to-5 structure.

“The new norm may be that someone goes online and works from six to seven and then takes their kids to school, and then works from eight to noon and takes a little break and goes online again. It’s about ‘trying to find ways in our industry where eight hours of work can be done in more flexible terms.’

Hotchkiss highlighted Newfront’s commitment to mental health and wellness, saying the company aims to provide a steady stream of resources to ensure employees always feel supported.

“We have a constant cadence of events, webinars and connection points, whether it’s through our employee resource groups, or specifically through our wellness awareness month. There are ways to constantly connect and resources we distribute to help employees.”

Additionally, Cross emphasized the importance of mental health days, which Newfront provides to employees every two months with no questions asked, allowing employees to take time off to recharge and reset when they need it most.

A collaborative approach to wellness

Wellness and mental health initiatives are becoming particularly crucial, as Hotchkiss noted that current industry trends, such as an increased focus on margins, have left many insurance professionals feeling overwhelmed .

“Everybody is looking to streamline expenses, as a result there may not be as many employees doing the same job. And that’s causing some stress as well.”

Consequently, Cross stressed the need for employers to design workplaces where attending mental health workshops is accessible.

“If you’re not blocking people’s calendars or encouraging people to attend, you’re just perpetuating the cycle of stress. It’s one thing to promote it, but it’s also important to create space for participation.”

Cross stresses the importance of taking a collaborative approach to wellness, and says insurance providers can also play a key role in prioritizing mental health.

“Insurers can partner with market players, such as mental health providers, to provide resources and products that make mental health more accessible.”

As the focus on mental health intensifies, Cross expects the insurance industry’s approach to mental health to continue to evolve from an individual-centered approach to a more collective one.

“We put a lot of responsibility on individual well-being and what you as an individual can do to change your life. And I would love to see more collaboration between different levels of intervention.”

“This means understanding how work environments influence individuals and recognizing the impact of corporate policies and insurance program designs, and how these can have a trickle-down effect on the individual and sometimes create barriers for individual well-being,” Cross said.