Are we truly addressing employee well-being comprehensively?

Mental health has become a top priority in the workplace, but when we look closer, we see that many challenges aren’t being solved by traditional benefits alone. What consistently rises to the top are Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) — the non-medical factors that shape up to 90% of health outcomes. These include housing, access to food, caregiving responsibilities, transportation, and more. And while they’re often treated as "external" issues, they show up at work every single day,  impacting performance, attendance, trust, and well-being.

What we’re hearing from our customers is clear: to truly support mental health, organizations need to go beyond benefit utilization and start looking at the full human experience.

“We’re seeing a high rate of homelessness among our employees... It is staggering.” — Healthcare customer

“Whether it’s childcare or elder care, caregiving is a huge and expensive factor. We’re trying to do more, but the system is limited.” — Hospitality client

When life stress becomes work stress

Here’s what the data tells us:

• 83% of U.S. workers report work-related stress, contributing to over 120,000 deaths each year.
• Long hours increase the risk of stroke by 35% and heart disease by 17%.
• When Medicaid programs addressed basic needs like food, housing, and transportation, they saw an 11% drop in hospital visits and 4% fewer emergency room visits.

Many employees never make it to available resources because they’re overwhelmed, unaware, or unsupported. One customer put it perfectly:

“Sometimes people are just holding on so tightly… and you want them to take a break? If they let go, it all falls apart.” - Financial Services client

‍

From insight to action: What HR leaders are doing to support social determinants of health

Here are just a few examples of how HR leaders at top organizations are supporting social determinants of health:

• Employee Relief Funds to support team members facing housing or financial crises
• Caregiving concierge services to reduce the stress of eldercare, childcare, and complex coordination
• Community partnerships to improve access to healthcare, language interpretation, and transportation

The big takeaway? Even small, intentional steps like empathy training or transportation stipends, can make a real difference, especially for employees navigating systemic barriers.

Not perfect, but purposeful

One thing we hear often from our customers is that this work isn’t about having it all figured out. It’s about showing up with purpose, listening deeply, and committing to action where we can.

As organizations rethink how to support their people, mental health can’t be treated as a stand-alone benefit. It has to be part of how we respond to the full context of someone’s life.

Want to learn more?

If you're interested in learning how Headspace partners with organizations to meet real employee needs, reach out to your client executive or sales team. We’d love to show you what’s possible when you’re supporting your workforce as a whole.