Digital Startups Are Challenging the Veterans of Employee Assistance

For the better part of a century, companies have offered various levels of support to stressed out employees, with substance abuse treatment, counseling sessions, and referrals to therapists. The initiatives started in the 1940s to combat alcoholism on the factory floor and helped create a multimillion dollar industry of companies that administer programs and provide a buffer of anonymity for workers fearful of the stigma attached to asking for help. The veterans of the business have been replaced by newcomers due to rising rates of distress and an accelerated shift to virtual health-care services.

Dozens of companies are trying to help struggling employees find the care they need. According to researcher CB Insights, investment in such companies more than doubled last year to $5.5 billion. The mental health system is difficult to navigate, according to the American Psychiatric Association Foundation.