HR’s Mental Health Toolkit: Surveys, Checklists, and Scripts

Published by Paychex on September 8, 2026 · Updated September 8, 2026

• employee-wellbeing
• mental-health-benefits
• internal-communications
• manager-enablement
• hr-compliance

Why does HR need a mental health toolkit?

HR needs a mental health toolkit because employee mental health is a business issue, a compliance issue, and a communication issue. Paycor’s executive summary says one in five U.S. adults experiences mental illness each year, burnout is at an all-time high, work/life balance is the #1 reason employees quit their jobs, and untreated mental health issues cost the U.S. economy $282 billion every year, roughly equivalent to an average recession.

Paycor also says employee well-being and mental health are top HR priorities in 2026. The challenge is often not whether benefits exist. The challenge is whether employees know how to find and use them. NAMI reports that 22% of managers do not even know if their company offers mental health coverage. That is a communication problem, and HR is in the best position to fix it.

HR directors do not need to act like therapists. They need the right tools, resources, and insights to support employees at scale. This toolkit is designed to help HR leaders reduce stigma, improve access, and give managers practical ways to respond.

What is the impact of mental health at work?

Mental health affects both employees and business performance. NAMI’s workplace research shows that more than 1 in 5 U.S. adults experiences mental illness each year, and only 52% of them receive treatment.

The gap between value and access is also clear. More than 8 in 10 employees say mental health benefits are important for workplace culture, but only 53% know how to access those benefits through insurance.

That means many employees value support but still cannot use it easily. For HR, the takeaway is simple: benefits alone are not enough if employees do not understand how to access them.

How can HR reduce mental health stigma at work?

HR can reduce mental health stigma by combining legal compliance, flexible policies, useful benefits, and everyday communication that treats mental health like physical health.

1. What laws should HR know?

HR should understand the ADA Amendments Act of 2008 (ADAAA) and the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).

The ADAAA broadened legal protections for people with disabilities and includes diagnoses such as PTSD. Employers cannot discriminate based on those diagnoses. Employers also cannot ask about mental health issues during the hiring process. Employees are not legally required to disclose a mental health condition unless they are requesting a specific accommodation because of it.

If an employer is concerned that an employee cannot complete work or may pose a safety risk because of a mental health issue, the employer must be able to provide objective evidence to support that concern.

2. What accommodations should HR provide?

HR should make reasonable accommodations easy to request and safe to discuss. The employee handbook should explain the accommodation process in plain language so employees know what to do before they ever need help.

Examples of reasonable accommodations can include allowing snacks at an employee’s desk if medication must be taken with food. Accommodations should help employees do their best work.

Employees may also need leave for mental health reasons. FMLA allows eligible employees 12 weeks of unpaid time off to deal with a mental health crisis. After the absence, HR can work with the employee on a return-to-work plan.

3. Why does flexible scheduling matter?

Flexible scheduling matters because it helps employees get care and manage symptoms with dignity. Paycor says work/life balance has become the #1 reason people quit their jobs, and flexibility is especially important for people with mental health issues.

Flexibility allows employees to see therapists, psychiatrists, and other providers. As of 2026, 140 million people live in areas with a shortage of mental health providers, up from 122 million in 2024.

Flexibility also helps when symptoms are unpredictable. If an employee wakes up too unwell to work, it should be as straightforward to call off for panic attacks or a mental health crisis as it is for food poisoning.

4. What practical wellness strategies should HR offer?

A strong workplace wellness program supports all employees, not only people with a current diagnosis. Paycor recommends benefits and resources such as:

• Health insurance with no or low co-pays for mental health treatment
• On-the-job training about mental health, including how to avoid burnout and recognize symptoms of depression
• Free or discounted membership to an online counseling service
• Employee Resource Groups, or ERGs, where workers can connect and support each other
• Gym memberships or fitness app subscriptions
• Easy-to-use resource lists with mental health hotline numbers
• Clear instructions for how employees request time off

5. How should HR build a positive workplace culture?

Stigma makes symptoms worse, and worse symptoms make it harder for employees to ask for help. HR can interrupt that cycle by normalizing mental health conversations and using respectful language.

Best practices include:

• Talk about mental health the same way you talk about physical health
• Use respectful language when discussing people with mental illness
• Protect privacy and do not disclose an employee’s mental health condition without approval unless legally required
• Avoid stigmatizing words such as crazy or nuts
• Do not use diagnoses as adjectives or metaphors
• Make space for employees to talk about emotional experiences when appropriate

If HR is not sure what employees need, ask them directly. Anonymous surveys can reveal top priorities, concerns, and suggestions for support.

What should managers say when an employee brings up stress, burnout, or mental health concerns?

Managers should respond calmly, respectfully, and without overstepping. Paycor’s toolkit says managers need to know what to do and what not to do when an employee discloses a mental health issue, understand ADAAA and FMLA obligations, and know how to refer employees to available resources.

A manager’s job is not to diagnose or solve the problem personally. The manager’s job is to listen, protect privacy, normalize the conversation, and connect the employee to the right HR process for support, time off, or accommodations.

What questions can HR ask in an employee mental health support survey?

HR should use an anonymous survey at least once a year or before a major benefits review. The survey should measure awareness, access, culture, and needs.

Awareness

1. Are you aware that our company offers mental health benefits?

   • Yes
   • No
   • Not sure

2. Do you know how to access mental health support through your health insurance?

   • Yes, I know exactly how
   • I have a general idea
   • No, I don’t know how
   • I’m not sure I have this coverage

3. Does our company have an Employee Assistance Program (EAP)?

   • Yes, and I know how to use it
   • Yes, but I’m not sure how to use it
   • No
   • Not sure

Access

4. In the past 12 months, have you used any mental health benefits such as EAP, therapy coverage, or mental health days?

   • Yes
   • No
   • I didn’t know I had access to these benefits

5. If you have not used mental health benefits in the past 12 months, what is the main reason? Select all that apply.

   • I didn’t know they were available
   • I didn’t know how to access them
   • I was concerned about privacy or other consequences
   • I wasn’t sure they’d cover what I needed
   • I don’t currently need them
   • Other

6. How easy is it to take time off from work for mental health reasons?

   • Very easy
   • Somewhat easy
   • Somewhat difficult
   • Very difficult

Culture

7. How comfortable do you feel discussing stress or mental health with your direct manager?

   • Very comfortable
   • Somewhat comfortable
   • Uncomfortable
   • I would never discuss this with my manager

8. In the past 12 months, have you experienced significant stress or burnout at work?

   • Yes, frequently
   • Yes, occasionally
   • No

9. If you were struggling with your mental health, would you feel safe telling someone at work?

   • Yes, definitely
   • Probably yes
   • Probably not
   • No

10. If you answered no above, what changes would make you feel safe to talk about your mental health at work?

Needs

11. What mental health resources are or would be most valuable to you? Select your top three.

• Access to free or subsidized therapy in-network or through EAP
• Mental health days or more flexible time off
• Stress management training
• Manager training on recognizing and responding to mental health challenges
• Clearer information about existing benefits
• Peer support programs or employee resource groups
• Mindfulness or meditation resources
• Other

12. Is there anything else you would like us to know about mental health support at our company?

What should a mental health stigma audit measure?

A mental health stigma audit should measure whether leadership, manager readiness, policies, and culture signals make it safe for employees to get support. HR can use the audit with a Yes, Partially, or No rating scale, and it can be customized for workers at any level.

Leadership and modeling

• Senior leaders openly and appropriately discuss mental health and model healthy behaviors such as taking time off and setting boundaries
• Leaders avoid stigmatizing language in meetings and company communications, including terms like crazy and nuts, or using diagnoses as adjectives
• Mental health is discussed with the same normalcy as physical health in company-wide communications

Manager readiness

• Managers are well-trained to recognize signs of stress, burnout, and mental health challenges
• Managers know what to do and what not to do when an employee discloses a mental health issue
• Managers understand ADAAA and FMLA obligations
• Managers know how to refer employees to available mental health resources without overstepping
• The return-to-work process after mental health leave is clearly documented and consistently applied

Policies and processes

• Employees who take mental health leave are not treated differently when they return
• Employees who disclose mental health conditions are not passed over for assignments, promotions, or development opportunities
• Employees feel they can speak honestly about stress or burnout without fear of negative consequences
• Mental health benefits are clearly communicated to all employees at least once per year
• Employees have a clear, simple process for requesting mental health-related accommodations
• It is equally easy for employees to take time off for mental and physical health reasons
• Employee mental health information is kept strictly confidential and shared only on a need-to-know basis

Personal experience, optional

• Have you personally experienced or witnessed mental health stigma at this company? If you are comfortable sharing, the response can be anonymous

How can HR customize benefits to drive employee engagement?

HR can drive engagement by personalizing mental health support instead of relying on one-size-fits-all benefits. Paycor says hyper-personalization is on the rise, and nearly 75% of employees would be more likely to stay at a job if it offered personalized benefits, according to PR Newswire.

That matters because employees now expect work experiences to be tailored to them, just as they are on social media and shopping platforms. Paycor says one-size-fits-all benefits packages are no longer enough.

Employees also face several simultaneous cultural shifts that affect their needs differently. Mental health diagnoses are more prevalent than ever: more than 1 in 5 U.S. adults experiences mental illness each year, and many people never get diagnosed because they cannot access care.

Stigma is decreasing, and more people are actively pursuing treatment. That means more employees need access to mental healthcare, and if a benefits package does not offer that support, it is already driving turnover.

Paycor also says burnout is at an all-time high in 2026. For HR, the practical response is to align benefits, communication, and manager support with what employees actually need.