Supporting Employee Mental Health During the Holidays
Employee mental health is an essential part of creating a healthy, productive, and inclusive workplace. As leaders, our goal is to foster a supportive culture year-round, but the holiday season brings unique challenges. While this time of year is joyful for some, it is also the most stressful period for many employees. Offering intentional support shows compassion, empathy, and a commitment to your team’s well-being.
Why Supporting Mental Health at Work Matters During the Holidays
Research consistently shows that stress, anxiety, and depression increase during the holiday season:
The American Psychological Association reports that 89 percent of U.S. adults feel stressed during the holidays, and 41 percent feel more stressed than at other times of the year.
The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) found that 64 percent of individuals with a mental health condition experience worsening symptoms during the holidays.
A survey by the American Heart Association revealed that 63 percent of adults feel the holidays are more stressful than tax season.
With year-end deadlines, launch preparations, family obligations, and financial pressures converging, many companies are reevaluating how best to support employee mental health. A thoughtful strategy can reduce burnout, increase engagement, and improve both morale and performance.
How to Build a Holiday Mental Health Support Strategy
If you’re creating or refining your employee wellness initiatives, here are key steps to consider:
Partner with HR: Work closely with Human Resources to design a comprehensive and compliant mental health support plan.
Respect boundaries: Honor time off, avoid non-critical messages after hours, and reinforce healthy work-life balance.
Offer flexible work options: Clearly outline remote work policies, adjusted schedules, and async collaboration expectations.
Adjust workloads: Reduce sprint velocities, postpone non-essential launches, and acknowledge that productivity naturally shifts during the season.
Ensure access to resources: Make sure every employee knows how to access mental health services, benefits, and internal support options.
Essential Resources to Support Employee Mental Health
Incorporate a mix of tools and programs to give employees real pathways to care:
Digital Mental Health Platforms
Headspace for Work or Calm for Business for mindfulness and stress reduction
BetterHelp or Talkspace for virtual therapy
Sleepio for improving sleep hygiene
Workflow and Workload Management
Async tools like Loom to reduce meeting overload
Encourage employees to schedule focus blocks, breaks, and no-meeting time
Project management platforms such as Linear or Jira to visualize workload and prevent burnout
Team & Wellness Resources
Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) with 24/7 counseling
Wellness stipends for health and self-care
Health insurance plans with strong mental health benefits
Clear crisis hotline and emergency support information
Implementing Your Holiday Mental Health Support Plan
Communicate clearly: Share initiatives during all-hands meetings, team updates, and internal communications. Consider hosting informal conversations about coping strategies and stress.
Train managers: Equip leaders to recognize signs of burnout, respond with empathy, coordinate with HR appropriately, and maintain confidentiality.
Support individual needs: Every employee experiences holiday stress differently. Offer flexible, personalized support where possible.
By demonstrating empathy and prioritizing well-being, leaders can make a meaningful difference during one of the most demanding times of the year. A thoughtful approach to mental health not only supports your people — it strengthens your culture.
FAQ: Supporting Employee Mental Health During the Holidays
Why is employee mental health support important during the holidays?
Stress, anxiety, and depression often increase during the holiday season due to financial pressure, family expectations, year-end work deadlines, and social obligations. Supporting mental health helps prevent burnout, improves productivity, and builds a healthier workplace culture.
What are common holiday stressors for employees?
Common stressors include workload spikes, travel logistics, family obligations, financial strain, loneliness, seasonal depression, and disrupted routines.
How can employers support mental health at work?
Employers can offer flexible schedules, reduce non-essential deadlines, promote time-off boundaries, provide access to counseling services, offer digital mental health tools, and train managers to recognize burnout.
What mental health benefits should companies offer during the holidays?
Useful benefits include Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs), virtual therapy, mindfulness apps, sleep support tools, crisis hotlines, and wellness stipends.
How can managers identify employee burnout?
Common signs include irritability, decreased engagement, missed deadlines, withdrawal from team activities, changes in communication patterns, and reduced productivity.
What flexible work options help reduce holiday stress?
Options include remote work days, compressed workweeks, async collaboration, flexible hours, limited meeting days, and “quiet weeks” with reduced deadlines.
Do mental health programs improve company performance?
Yes. Data consistently shows that wellness support increases retention, engagement, productivity, and overall job satisfaction.