Mental health benefits are no longer about specific apps but the entire total rewards package through the wellbeing lens, says UKG’s Rita Reslow
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.
Mental health has carved out a permanent seat at the table in workforce strategy, notably, how organizations are rethinking total rewards programs.
According to HR leaders from KPMG and UKG, the mental health conversation has evolved but so has the employer’s responsibility.
For Kirstin Grant, the pandemic marked a turning point in how Canadian employers approach mental health in the workplace. She describes it as a “game changer” that forced organizations to confront the limitations of their existing support systems. The shift, she said, moved quickly from focusing on individual responsibility, like stress management or better sleep, toward a deeper conversation about employer accountability.
“Immediately and without awareness, the discussion around employee mental health shifted from what people could do for themselves to what employers needed to provide,” said Grant, director of risk consulting, total rewards at KPMG. “It fundamentally changed how employers in Canada address mental health, not just across total rewards, but in planning and managing the workforce and the workplace overall.”
From a total rewards perspective, Grant points to growing recognition that financial stress can directly impact mental health. As a result, many organizations are now incorporating financial literacy training, coaching, and new savings tools into their benefits strategy. They’ve also expanded traditional benefits and increasing coverage levels while employee assistance programs (EAPs), once overlooked, became essential during the pandemic, offering access to legal, financial, and crisis mental health support.
“Many companies have reported successful outcomes because they started offering volunteer opportunities and community focused events which strengthen social connection, belonging and are just generally a lot of fun,” she noted. “Wellness and health spending accounts give employees autonomy to invest in what supports their personal mental health like yoga classes and food delivery subscriptions.”
Julie Develin, senior partner of human insights at UKG, acknowledges that frontline worker organizations face a major gap when it comes to communicating mental health benefits. She argues that many employers assume their messaging is effective across the board, but it often fails to reach all segments of the workforce. For example, shift workers may not access email or company updates in the same way as office staff.
That’s why she stresses the need for more intentional, accessible communication strategies tailored to how and when different groups engage with information. She also notes that language barriers are frequently overlooked, adding that messages must be delivered in ways employees can not only read but truly understand. Without these adjustments, organizations risk poor utilization of the very programs they invest in.
According to Grant, empowering employees through wellness spending accounts and manager training has delivered strong results. Above all, she stressed that mental health support must go beyond policy and should be reflected in leadership behaviour and flexible work arrangements tailored to employees’ realities.
For Rita Reslow, senior director of global benefits at UKG, she emphasizes how supporting employee mental health isn’t just about specific services and apps but rather looking at “the entire total rewards package through the wellbeing lens.”
“When considering mental health and wellness overall, there are both everyday moments and major life events that impact people,” said Reslow, highlighting UKG’s U Choose lifestyle spending account, which has a 91 per cent participation rate in Canada, giving employees flexibility to be reimbursed for eligible everyday expenses across physical wellness, financial wellness, work/life well-being and workplace experience.
While flexible benefits, health spending accounts and total rewards programs have existed for years, Grant underscored that programs are now being designed for groups such as new parents, family caregivers, and men’s mental health. This deliberate segmentation, she explains, is not only improving well-being outcomes but also boosting engagement and retention.
“Giving employees agency and control over their well-being decisions in and of itself has a positive impact on their well-being,” she said.
Develin believes that a successful total rewards program shouldn’t follow a template but reflect the unique needs of each organization and its workforce. She warns that programs assembled in a disjointed, piecemeal way are rarely effective.
Instead, she argues for a more integrated approach, one that connects financial, physical, mental, and professional well-being into a cohesive system, explaining that employees should be able to clearly understand what’s available to them and how to access it.
Ease of use and clarity are essential, but so is employee input. Develin emphasizes that listening to employees, especially those who aren’t typically included in strategic planning, is critical when designing or revamping total rewards.
“When leaders bring together voices that they wouldn’t typically have in the room, that’s really where innovation happens,” she said, underscoring this doesn’t just lead to better program design but also strengthens the sense of belonging and trust within the workforce.
She also encourages employers to use technology to support continuous listening, especially in environments where in-person feedback isn't always feasible.
Recognition programs are also gaining traction for improving mental health by fostering connection and reducing burnout. Meanwhile, financial stress, another major contributor to mental health challenges, is being tackled through financial literacy and savings programs. Notably, Grant pointed to a 2023 Manulife survey showing that “79 per cent of employees said financial wellness programs reduced their stress.”
Grants sees today’s workforce trends as energizing for HR and total rewards leaders. While she emphasized the decisions being made today have a profound influence on workers and their families, the fact that “we’re all talking about it now is helping the sector move forward together, and everyone “can share in that success,” she said.
