The food and beverage industry is among the top three unhealthiest workplace industries for mental health, a crisis that has been exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic. Some restaurant chains are responding by bolstering their benefits.
Recognizing this fragility, more restaurant chains, from Papa John’s to McDonald’s, are adding programs and benefits that specifically address mental health. –including in-person, phone or virtual visits with a licensed counselor–for its more than 80,000 employees this year with an objective of “minimizing the effect of mental health in the workplace.”
“There, we committed to take a stand and break the stigma around mental health and provide even more partners and their families with the support they need. Starbucks has a long history of providing innovative benefits for our partners based on their feedback. With 1 in 5 adults experiencing some form of mental illness each year, we knew we could do much more, and we sought out partner input about what benefits would be most useful.
According to Sue Petersen, vice president of Human Resource, all Noodles team members and their families are eligible to contact UnitedHealthcare’s emotional support line to speak to a trained mental health specialist at no cost, whether enrolled in Noodles’ medical plan or not. Emotional support from trained mental health specialists is available 24 hours/7 days a week, along with referrals to community resources.
Even industry giant McDonald’s is turning its attention to mental health, a potential game changer for the industry considering its scale. During a recent media call about the chain’s “Thank You Meals” promotion, Atlanta-based Owner/Operator Vicki Chancellor briefly touched on the company’s new mental health resources for employees. Included among them, a 24/7 Blue Cross Blue Shield nurses hotline and emotional support counseling sessions for employees and their families.
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