EVOLVE Business and Professional Magazine August 2020 | Page 11

Iraq and Afghanistan needing mental health services,” he said.
“It has become more acceptable for people in the military to seek
counseling and by and large the military has always been at the
forefront of certain things in society.”
Holloway said military officials saw an advantage to providing
mental health services to people returning from active duty “and
that has filtered back into society over time.”
While it seems obvious that focusing on mental health as much
as physical health of employees can be a benefit, Holloway said
there is also science behind the idea.
“Quite a few studies show that when employers encourage
employees to access counseling resources, absenteeism falls,
turnover is much less and people are able to dedicate more
mental energy to their job,” he said. “It is in any company’s best
interest to want their employees to operate at an optimal point
psychologically.”
Holloway said that the growth of employee health and wellness
programs has mainly been with larger companies. For small
businesses – those with less than 500 employees – there are fewer
options in many cases.
In a 2018 report on mental health in the workplace, the U.S.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said community leaders
and businesses have a role to play in managing mental health and
stress in the workplace, including promotion of stress management
educational programs through public health departments and
community centers; support of community programs that indirectly
reduce risks such as increasing access to affordable housing,
providing opportunities for physical activities and supplying tools
to promote financial well-being; and creation of systems where
employees, employers and healthcare providers team up to promote
community-based programs that address mental health and stress
management.
At Boston Whaler in Edgewater, a focus on the health and safety
of employees is a top priority, including mental health.
“Boston Whaler is committed to the well-being of its employees
and offers a variety of programs to support them in their life’s
journey,” said Melanie Jamerson, director of compensation and
benefits at Boston Whaler’s parent company, Mettawa, Illinoisbased
Brunswick Corp. “With our benefit program offers, we focus
on all aspects of employee well-being which includes physical,
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