When Arun Gupta, founder of the New York City health care company Quartet Health, couldn’t find satisfactory mental health insurance for his team, he came up with a creative solution: confidentially reimbursing employees for out-of-pocket expenses through a third-party vendor. “A lot of times, people might have to pay cash or have high co-pays attached to getting therapy. Now they can see anybody they want to see, as often as they need,” he says. “We’re pushing the envelope here, but it’s good for business.”
That’s because roughly 18 percent of American adults suffer from some form of mental illness, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. And that makes it a particular problem for smaller businesses, where every employee plays a crucial, often nonduplicated role. In the United States, the total economic burden of major depression alone is now estimated to be $210.5 billion per year, according to the consulting firm the Analysis Group. Even if you don’t go as far as Gupta, there are many measures you can take to ensure your workers are at their best.