While every industry has felt the impacts of increased stress and burnout over the last few years, not all have experienced them the same way. To address ongoing burnout, your organization needs to create a strategy that is tailored to the unique needs of your employees.

Some of the highest reported cases of stress and burnout come from the education, professional services, health care, and manufacturing industries – with each reporting slightly different experiences.

In accounting and finance, burnout and a related mass exodus from the field are rooted in understaffing and heavy workloads. Meanwhile, K-12 teachers report higher levels of job-related stress and symptoms of depression than other industries, often due to feeling overworked, underpaid and underappreciated. In manufacturing, workers often suffer in silence because of stigmas around mental health and seeking treatment.

While the impacts of burnout on employees and businesses may be similar across the board – low morale, decreased productivity, and, ultimately, turnover – each of these examples requires a unique health care strategy that meets workers where they are.

At Cigna Healthcare, we take the time to consult with you to fully understand how burnout is impacting your employees. We tailor a personalized approach to each individual, leveraging our comprehensive suite of mental health services, virtual care tools, and real-time, member-centric engagement and advocacy. Together, we can nurture a healthy work culture that not only helps reduce burnout and sources of stress for your employees, but also delivers results for your bottom line.

A look at employee burnout in the professional services industry

Understanding your industry and your employees’ specific risk factors for burnout are critical to address the root of this issue. Let's take a look at professional services – and more specifically, the legal and finance spaces – as an example.

According to a Bloomberg Law survey conducted at the end of 2021, attorneys reported that they felt burned out in their jobs 52% of the time. And while that number went down to 47% in the firm's H1 2022 survey, it continues to show a worrisome trend.

Attorneys reported spending an average of just 6.6 hours per week on self-care, which breaks down to less than an hour per day. And notably, just 14% of respondents selected "attending to my mental health" as a form of self-care, highlighting a major gap that employers must address. Furthermore, Bloomberg's analysis found that attorneys who reported a decline in well-being are three times more likely to actively seek out other job opportunities.

In the legal space, investing in programs that encourage and help employees prioritize self-care is an important part of improving overall well-being.

For employees struggling with mental health in the finance and accounting sectors due to heavy workloads, a constantly shifting regulatory landscape, and understaffing industry-wide, employers must ensure easy access to a wide variety of mental health care options, including virtual care services that fit within a busy schedule.

Connecting employees to personalized well-being support

To address low morale, stress, and burnout, you need to figure out what motivates your employees to take better care of their mental health. With our consultative approach to understanding the root causes of burnout and stress for your workforce, Cigna Healthcare can provide a proactive and employee-focused engagement model that fits your business' needs and is suitable for each individual. This, ultimately, promotes good health and addresses mental health issues so employers benefit from improved workforce performance and lower health care costs. A recent JAMA study of approximately 200,000 Cigna customers found that people diagnosed with a behavioral health condition, such as anxiety, depression, or substance use disorder, who receive outpatient care had lower total health care costs by up to $2,565 per person over the 15 months post diagnosis.

Our actionable, data-driven insights guide the creation of a coordinated, end-to-end care delivery approach that spans the complete yet individualized customer journey. Our innovative approach includes:

• Identification of needs, meaningful engagement, and navigation to proper care
• Quick access to care and a full suite of over 285K mental and behavioral health providers
• Integration and coordination of medical, pharmacy, and behavioral benefits
• High-cost behavioral condition management and care
• Connected, full-spectrum care solutions

Our personal health teams are made up of diverse, clinically trained professionals, aligned to your unique employer groups and who understand your industry’s culture. From awareness and education at the full population level down to high-touch engagement and empowerment for your highest-risk employees, simplifying the health care journey is a core piece of our customer-first approach.

Cigna Healthcare’s commitment to simplifying and personalizing care extends to our leading virtual care solutions, too. We view flexible, virtual mental health care options as a crucial connector for those dealing with burnout and looking for easy access to support. It’s why we leverage our extensive network of more than 243,600 providers and vendor partners to create an expansive digital health system that makes searching for care simple. With this approach, we’ve delivered nearly 14 million virtual care visits over the last five years.

As the attention on emotional well-being and demand for behavioral care continues to grow, we remain dedicated to helping customers find the best resources in a timely manner. To execute on that, first-time appointments are available in two days or less with our digital partners, including MDLIVE for Cigna Healthcare, Talkspace, and more. MDLIVE for Cigna Healthcare is built into all of our networks for convenient access to urgent care, primary care, dermatology and behavioral health services at no additional cost. According to an analysis of total medical costs for medical customers with Cigna Virtual Care, since 2020, we have seen an increase of MDLIVE behavioral visits by 133%. Customer feedback acknowledges that MDLIVE provides fast, convenient, and user-friendly care. Virtual urgent care through MDLIVE can also create significant cost savings for your employees and your company

• $121 average savings per visit compared to more costly channels
• $1,490 total savings compared to avoidable ER visits

Employers have an opportunity to lean into personalized care for their employees that truly matters. A complete culture of health and holistic well-being programs designed for industry-specific and individualized support can turn a health plan into a core driver of your business growth. Cigna Healthcare has the depth of experience to support your journey. Learn more by contacting your representative or broker today.