DOL Launches New Website for Workplace Mental Health Resources
HIGHLIGHTS
The DOL launched a new websitededicated to addressing mentalhealth issues in the workplace.
The website includes summaries ofwhat employers are legally requiredto do to support employees’ mentalhealth.
These legal requirements includeensuring there is mental healthparity in health plan coverage,providing FMLA leave for mentalhealth conditions and complyingwith the ADA’s protections.
The website includes otherresources, such as posters andchecklists, to help employers createa supportive workplace.
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) recently launched its Mental Health at Workinitiative, including a new website providing a variety of resources and tools tohelp improve overall mental health in the workplace.
Mental Health Crisis
Mental health issues are increasingly prevalent in the workplace. According to theDOL’s research, approximately 1 in 5 Americans experience mental illness everyyear. More than 46 million people in the country experienced a substance usedisorder in the previous year. Suicide is a leading cause of death in the UnitedStates. Also, almost half of workers said their work is suffering because of poormental health. Despite its prevalence, there can be significant stigma aroundmental illness, including in the workplace.
Employer Compliance Requirements
Employers play a critical role in creating environments where workers are ascomfortable seeking support for treating mental health conditions as they are withother types of illnesses. Employers are required to comply with the followingfederal laws to support workers’ mental health:
Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA): UnderMHPAEA, health plans that cover mental health or substance use benefitscannot impose more restrictions on those benefits than what generallyapplies to comparable medical or surgical benefits.
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA): Under the FMLA, covered employersmust provide up to 12 weeks of job-protected leave to eligible employees.
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA): Under the ADA, workers with mentalhealth conditions may be protected against workplace discrimination andharassment related to their condition, have workplace confidentiality rights,and have a legal right to reasonable accommodations that can help themperform and keep their job.
Mental Health Resources
The DOL’s new website includes summaries for employers on the workplace legalrequirements regarding mental health, including a fact sheet on MHPAEA,frequently asked questions about when employees can take FMLA leave for amental health condition, and examples of reasonable accommodations that mayhelp employees with mental health conditions to perform their jobs moreeffectively. To help create a supportive workplace, the DOL’s website has links tovarious posters, checklists, toolkits and other resources. The website also providesresources for workers to get help with their mental health needs and learn abouttheir rights.
Source: U.S. Department of Labor
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