Employers urged to restructure mental health benefits through ‘an intersectional lens’

Each month at BPM, we offer a slate of articles and content pieces that go deep on a particular topic. This November, we’re exploring employee and plan members' mental health. 

Many employers still lag in addressing the nuanced needs of underrepresented groups, particulalry when it comes to mental health, according to one diversity, equity and inclusion expert.

Jennifer Taylor Oland, director of customer engagement and belonging at Medavie, underscored how employers should adopt a more nuanced, “intersectional lens” that reflects the real experiences of their workforce.

After all, the shift in language - from “minority” to “underrepresented” - is more than semantics. It signals a move toward examining how identity factors like race, gender identity, disability, and socioeconomic status intersect to impact health access, stigma, and outcomes. Taylor Oland insists this deeper approach is critical in reshaping benefits and mental health supports.

“You really only know when you look at who works for you through that intersectional lens,” she said. “In some cultures, mental health issues are really seen as a sign of weakness or failure.”

It’s this fear of judgment from family or cultural communities that continue to deter employees from seeking help. Addressing this means more than just offering coverage. It also requires employers to create an environment of psychological safety.

“It's really important that you communicate clearly and thoughtfully that seeking help is really private and stigma-free,” she added.

Taylor Oland believes that psychological safety in the workplace starts with ensuring employees feel comfortable seeking help and that they know where to go when they need it. This sense of safety is something employers need to build deliberately through inclusive leadership. That includes training leaders to foster open, stigma-free conversations about mental health.

Additionally, she argues that mental health support should be viewed through a broad, inclusive lens. Employers need to design benefits that reflect the diverse realities of their workforce, including access to culturally competent providers who understand individuals’ backgrounds, speak their language, and recognize alternative or traditional health practices.

Taylor Oland suggests that community can be a critical stabilizer for the workplace. She sees it as a practical way for employers to fill the gaps that disproportionately affect underrepresented groups and to strengthen their overall well‑being at work.

According to Taylor Oland, underrepresented employees often face obstacles that compound their stress like long wait times for care, geographic barriers, financial limitations, and limited support at home. These factors directly influence resilience and day‑to‑day quality of life, she said.

To counter these pressures, she argues employers need to think beyond traditional health benefits and focus on supports that actually prevent mental health issues from escalating. That includes workplace‑based structures that reinforce trust and belonging. As she put it, underrepresented employees may struggle in ways that others don’t.

She pointed to peer networks, employee resource groups and wellness sessions as essential components. These groups, she explained, can make a significant difference because they connect employees with others who genuinely understand their experiences.

“They share your own identity and your own concerns with regards to mental health,” she said, adding that shared identity often enables a level of guidance and support employees won’t find elsewhere.

Additionally, Taylor Oland emphasized employees increasingly expect to receive care from providers who understand their cultural background and lived experiences. She believes that historically, society has fallen short in offering this kind of understanding, but the demand for culturally competent support in mental health is required because employees want access to professionals who not only speak their language but also relate to their cultural context and preferred methods of care, including traditional healing practices.

For her, benefits plans are a key mechanism for closing this gap and ensuring that support is both relevant and inclusive.

Taylor Oland highlights the growing recognition of mental health as a key component of disability and inclusion strategies in the workplace. She challenges the notion that a clinical diagnosis is necessary to validate someone’s mental health struggles, pointing out that many individuals are now more aware of what conditions like anxiety look and feel like, and are increasingly open about them.

She notes a shift over the past five years, where more employees are identifying and naming their mental health challenges, which means organizations must adapt their benefits and supports accordingly.

“You don't need a clinical diagnosis to have mental health,” she noted, adding that mental health concerns are far more widespread than many employers assume. Notably, mental health support is directly tied to a sense of belonging at work. She argues that when employees feel seen and supported internally, they are more likely to reflect that positivity outward, particularly in how they engage with clients, colleagues, and the organization.

Taylor Oland sees this first hand when she works directly with clients to help them understand how inclusive benefits can be designed and communicated effectively. She believes organizations often overlook who their employees really are because they’re hesitant to ask. Yet, when asked confidentially, people are willing to share.

That’s why she urges employers to use data to shape benefits that reflect life stages and real needs, whether it’s retirement, caregiving, menopause, or gender-affirming care.

When it comes time to renew benefits, Taylor Oland believes it can be a strategic opportunity for plan sponsors, noting that employers need to pause and reassess their offerings thoughtfully, recognizing that even small adjustments or omissions in a plan can significantly impact individuals depending on their stage of life or personal circumstances.

Rather than applying a generic approach, employers should take the time to evaluate how benefits align with the diverse and evolving needs of their workforce through ongoing engagement and incorporating feedback into plan design.

“I think we can all do a better job to understand how we actually derived this and we can look at it from that intersectional lens,” she said.