For Philip Swayze, one of the most important shifts in employer mental health has been a move away from simply offering a resource and toward asking a harder question: are employees actually engaging with it?
He saw that shift accelerate during the pandemic.
“Covid era stressors triggered a renewed interest in more effectively addressing employee mental health and wellbeing,” Philip says. “Employers started asking about engagement and how we move away from the ‘set it and forget it’ EAP model that has flown under the radar for years.”
Philip has spent nearly 25 years in workforce health consulting and today serves as Vice President of Population Health & Wellbeing for New England at HUB International, advising employers from Maine to Maryland on wellbeing strategy.
His influence also extends beyond his client work. Philip is Chair of the Workforce Mental Health Workgroup at HERO, where he is helping shape how the field approaches proactive behavioral health design, and has been a HERO Think Tank member for 20 years. He holds a Certified Wellness Program Director credential, a Master’s in Public Relations, and a BA in Psychology from the University of Vermont.
From Philip’s perspective, the progress since the pandemic is meaningful. Employers began paying closer attention to EAP engagement and mental health data, while more progressive organizations took on the persistent stigma surrounding mental health. At the same time, he sees an important challenge that remains unresolved: demonstrating what these investments are actually accomplishing.
“There is still room for improvement when it comes to measurement and evaluation of program impact,” he says.
That tension—between meaningful progress and the need for greater accountability—defines much of the employer mental health conversation today. Employers are investing more, solutions are becoming more innovative, and expectations for those solutions are rising with them.Philip sees reason for optimism.
“Employers are investing more in mental health and solutions providers are meeting the challenge with more innovative and impactful resources. I am optimistic that we are headed in the right direction.”
After nearly 25 years in the field, Philip has watched employer mental health move from a benefit that could easily fly under the radar to an issue organizations are increasingly expected to engage with, measure, and improve. His work is helping ensure the next phase is not simply about offering more, but about making those investments more meaningful.