As businesses begin to reopen and bring employees back to the workplace, leaders should keep the mental health of those returning employees in mind. Staying at home for a few days with family, pets, and roommates may have been fun and exciting at first, but after several weeks of being isolated at home, that excitement has turned into fear, anxiety and depression for many people.

Nearly half of Americans report the coronavirus crisis is harming their mental health, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation poll. A federal emergency hotline for people in emotional distress registered a more than 1,000 percent increase in April compared with the same time last year. Last month, roughly 20,000 people texted that hotline, run by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Does your business offer an Employee Assistance Plan (EAP)?

Employee Assistance Plans (EAPs) provide employees with access to mental health professionals who can provide a limited number of counseling sessions and also recommend mental health professionals for continued treatment. Services are confidential and include an initial free evaluation, followed by low cost short-term counseling sessions.

Employers who have EAPs should make sure that employees are aware of this resource, and employers without EAPs should consider putting such a program in place.

Email [email protected] for guidance on implementing an EAP at your business.