Employers benefit from a healthy and productive workplace—physically and mentally. If all HR leaders had the ability to provide access to affordable, accessible, everyday mental health and wellbeing support, wouldn’t you jump at the chance? This is the opportunity artificial intelligence offers today.
AI can help an organization’s benefit offerings serve as a mental health pocket resource—providing support at an employee’s fingertips, whenever and however they need to use it. Since COVID, when AI was used primarily to ease access to clinical care, advancements in technology have made AI an increasingly safe and effective way to provide real-time conversation and guidance to employees across the workforce spectrum.
The spectrum of needs continues to strain the workforce as employees struggle with stress and burnout. Headspace’s 2025 Workforce State of Mind report found that half of employees have cried because of work issues. Nearly 60% have considered quitting their job because of their mental health.
Workers are continuing to struggle with more acute mental health needs, too: In 2023, 61% of U.S. employees reported at least one symptom of a mental health condition, like anxiety or depression, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. Meanwhile, 31% said work had a negative impact on their mental health. Annually, mental health will cost employers $1 trillion, according to the World Health Organization. This is due to factors like reduced productivity, missed workdays, poor employee performance and the increased costs of healthcare.
It’s time to reinvest and get creative in the solutions we’re offering for mental health. AI gives every employee the tools to improve their wellbeing, which helps your business thrive, too. Fortunately, a majority of employees and HR managers are on board with the idea of a technology-led approach to mental wellness. Headspace’s research found that 94% of HR leaders are very or somewhat interested in utilizing an AI-driven mental health resource. Eighty-nine percent of employees are comfortable utilizing an AI-powered mental health benefit.
So, what can this look like for your workforce, and what may still be holding you back?
Think about some of the stressors your employees are going through every day. Perhaps a working parent is at the office while their child is home sick from school. They may not have had the opportunity to meet with a mental health coach to discuss their stress and overwhelm. Instead, they bring it with them to the office. Rather than let their frustrations hinder their ability to show up at work, they can tap into an AI-powered chatbot that can quickly validate their experience and guide them through a short meditation to address stress in the moment.
Or, consider an employee who is seeking in-person therapy. They log on each week and are given a set of skills to practice over the coming days. But once they log off, those learnings quickly get put on the emotional back burner. However, with an AI companion, reminders about exercises are sent right to their phone. This allows them to practice therapeutic tools throughout the week, not just in a single 45-minute session.
In both of these scenarios, and in many more like them, AI is working to complement a human-led resource. Rather than offloading stress onto an HR manager, or relying solely on a therapist for wellbeing support, AI is a second set of ears. In this approach, AI empowers employees to address issues in the moment, check in with themselves and prioritize their wellbeing, keeping the therapeutic process in progress.
Stigma: an ongoing barrier to better employee mental health
Additionally, while strides have been made to reduce the stigma around voicing mental health concerns, it still remains a barrier. Due to cultural and socioeconomic nuances, mental health continues to be a topic that often stays behind closed doors. A 2023 survey by the American Psychological Association found that 43% of employees felt there would be negative consequences if they revealed their mental health condition to a manager.
Yet, AI enables employees to tap into support without judgement, and in a discrete way. It can open a door for employees to seek more intense care if needed, and prevent more serious interventions. In fact, 95% of HR leaders agree that accessible and proactive mental health resources can reduce the need for employees to take extended mental health leaves of absence. They also acknowledge it can improve retention, as they prove to their workforce that their wellbeing matters.
See also: What does HR need to fulfill its role as the ‘strategic architect of wellbeing’?
Comprehensive care is a win-win
AI won’t—and shouldn’t—be a complete replacement for human care. AI can also guide employees who would benefit from psychological and psychiatric modes of treatment to those resources. No matter the need, AI can provide an opportunity to get employees engaged with their benefits, in a mode and method that keeps them accountable for their wellbeing.
Taking all of these factors into consideration, a comprehensive mental health benefit that incorporates AI is a win-win for employees and business leaders alike. The use of AI to drive interactions creates an increase in engagement. Ultimately, this drives better utilization of benefits and more resilient team members.
Today’s benefit managers need to know that the programs they offer are actually being used and that they’re delivering value. Having AI as a compass will help guide your workforce to a brighter and healthier future.
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