For HR and benefits leaders, the value of mental health benefits is clear. You see firsthand how stress, burnout, and lack of support affect employees – and how providing access to care can help people feel and perform at their best.

But when it comes to securing executive buy-in, particularly from finance leaders, the conversation often shifts. A CFO’s priorities also focus on cost containment and measurable outcomes. To earn their support, HR leaders need to connect the dots between employee wellbeing and business performance in ways that resonate with the finance team.

In our CFO buyer’s guide, we outline tips for identifying the right mental health benefits partner, framing the conversation with your finance team, and defining how to measure mental health benefit success. Download the guide now.

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Aligning with your finance team’s priorities

To ensure that a mental health solution is moving the needle on the bottom line as well as on health outcomes, it’s important to have the right proof points. Finance teams will be focused on the large scale business impact. Some key considerations include:

• Can this scale across our entire workforce?
  CFOs want reassurance that mental health resources won’t just serve a small fraction of employees, but can meet the diverse needs of the entire workforce.
  
  
• How predictable are the costs?
  Budget stability is essential. While some mental health solutions may appear predictable and lower-cost at the outset, they can often lead to unanticipated expenses due to their pricing model structure and unexpectedly high care utilization. Showing how a solution offers transparent pricing models and consolidates multiple vendors can reduce uncertainty and demonstrate long-term sustainability.
  
  
• How do we measure success?
  Finance leaders look for hard data, not just anecdotal evidence. Clear outcome metrics—such as utilization rates, clinical improvements, and ROI dashboards—help prove the investment’s value.

By preparing for these questions in advance, HR leaders can demonstrate that mental health isn’t just an HR initiative; it’s a strategic investment.

Connecting wellbeing to business outcomes

A key for advocating for mental health benefits with your finance team is translating their impact into business terms. While HR leaders may focus on engagement, belonging, or culture, finance leaders want to understand how those elements influence the health of the business. The good news is, the link between employee mental health and business impact is stronger than ever.

Preventive care and early support can prevent many challenges from becoming costly medical claims, keeping healthcare spend under control. When employees feel supported, they’re not only more productive but also more likely to stay at their company, reducing turnover and the hidden costs that come with it. 

In addition, streamlining multiple mental health point solutions into a single, comprehensive platform also cuts down on redundancy and the administrative headaches that eat up time and budget. Considering risk management is important as well – ensuring employees have access to licensed providers, crisis support, and legal resources reduces liability and protects the organization’s reputation. And finally, strong reporting tools make it possible to track real utilization, outcomes, and ROI in a way that’s finance-friendly.

When HR leaders reframe wellbeing initiatives in this way, they shift the narrative from “a nice perk” to “a critical driver of business performance.” That’s when mental health can become a core part of strategy.

The power of data

Perhaps the most meaningful way to align HR and finance priorities is with proven outcomes. At Headspace, our full spectrum of mental health and wellbeing resources in one seamless platform – including meditation, coaching, therapy, psychiatry, and work-life services – has been proven to drive meaningful health outcomes and cost savings. 

• Headspace drives 15% savings per member per month when compared to the benchmark for team-based mental healthcare
  
  
• 83% of Headspace members improve anxiety symptoms and 85% improve depression symptoms after 6-16 weeks of engaging in coaching or clinical care.
  
  
• Employees using Headspace’s on-demand mental health offerings experience an average of three more healthy days per month after only 30 days of using Headspace
  
  
• Headspace sees 5-10x utilization compared to legacy EAPs - creating a more meaningful impact on total populations
  
  

With data that ties directly to cost savings, performance gains, health outcomes, and long-term organizational health, Headspace is positioned to be a meaningful partner for both HR and finance teams.

Building the case with confidence

For HR leaders, advocating for mental health benefits doesn’t mean becoming fluent in finance overnight. It means framing the conversation around key CFO considerations: efficiency, predictability, cost containment, and measurable impact.

By anticipating concerns, connecting wellbeing initiatives to business goals, and backing up proposals with data, you’ll build a stronger case for investment – and position mental health as a true driver of organizational performance.

Making the case for mental health benefits to your finance leaders is one of the most impactful steps you can take as an HR leader. To help you prepare, we’ve created the CFO buyer’s guide to mental health benefits – a guide to ensuring you can identify the right mental health benefits partner to drive business impact and make a successful case to your finance team. 

The guide includes key features that any impactful mental health benefits vendor should include, important metrics your finance team will want to know about, and a checklist to ensure you’re prepared for the conversation with your finance leaders. Download the guide now.

To receive a custom quote that shows how Headspace can support your workforce, delivering both better health outcomes and financial value – contact us here.