The number of employees utilizing the free mental health therapy provided by Synchrony is increasing.

• In the past three years, 94% of large companies have improved their mental health care coverage, provided more support, or established new programs or systems.
• Synchrony aimed to enhance its mental health support for employees by providing free, onsite therapy with a trained psychologist at its headquarters.
• The program has assisted employees in managing both remote and office-based stresses, and also addressed concerns such as stress, anxiety, and communication difficulties.

American businesses are increasingly prioritizing the mental health of their employees, with 94% of large employers reporting that they have taken steps to improve coverage, support, or programs for mental health care in the past three years, according to a 2023 Mercer survey.

Many companies have introduced various mental health support services, such as telehealth options, employee assistance programs, and apps, or expanded mental health coverage within their existing health plans.

This year, the financial services firm expanded its mental health support by providing free, onsite therapy for employees with a trained psychologist at its headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut.

Rebekah Raimo, Synchrony SVP of Human Resources, discussed the competitive benefits the company could offer to differentiate itself from other work opportunities at a recent roundtable session with a summer intern class, as reported by CNBC's Steve Kovach at the CNBC Workforce Executive Council Summit in New York earlier this month.

Raimo stated that although the company provides mental health-focused benefits such as virtual wellness coaches and employee-resource groups to its 20,000-person workforce, the company had never considered bringing a psychologist to provide mental health support.

Synchrony has taken another crucial step to ensure a discreet and impactful therapy experience for its clients. This involves structuring its office and implementing measures to ensure that only the practitioner has access to the records from therapy sessions.

Dr. Jennifer Nielsen, with a background in working in various patient settings and serving as a school psychologist for children, parents, and teachers, was hired by Synchrony to fill the role.

Nielsen informed Kovach that on the two days she works from Synchrony's office, she offers a range of services, including brief one-on-one consultations on specific issues and ongoing sessions with some employees on topics such as stress, anxiety, and communication, both inside and outside of the workplace. Additionally, Nielsen conducts presentations, webinars, and other mental health-related sessions to educate employees about her services and general wellness tips.

Raimo stated that the concept of an in-house psychologist being offered may not have been a significant concern for workers in the past, but she believes that things have changed in the past few years, both at work and at home.

"Raimo stated that the integrated approach to helping people achieve their best in both their personal and professional lives is crucial for the success of the business. He added that this approach was a significant driver for them. According to Raimo, this was an iteration of providing more mental health and wellness resources to people."

Nielsen emphasized the changing nature of work and how the hybrid work environment blurs the line between work and home, making resources like this more valuable to manage stress. "Multitasking may not be as effective as we think, as you juggle tasks at work and your worlds collide," she stated. "There's no longer a clear separation of work."

Raimo stated that since the program is less than a year old, the company has not yet calculated any ROI if other services are being used less or the impact on other cost claims. Nevertheless, both Raimo and Nielsen noted that the number of employees who are using the benefit continues to increase, and anecdotally, employees are happy with it.

"Raimo stated that the employee and employer contract has been altered. He emphasized that it's not just about showing up to work and receiving a paycheck, but also about assisting people in achieving their full potential is crucial for both parties."

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