As a leader in tech, Verizon Media looks to carve out a path for others to follow in supporting workers' mental health, CEO Guru Gowrappan, told Cheddar.
While coronavirus is an obvious physical health concern, the mental impacts of the pandemic, lockdowns, and other issues sweeping the U.S., Gowrappan said, are necessary for companies to address and aid with when it relates to their employees.
"We've given free 24/7 confidential crisis and counseling support," he explained. "One stat I've seen, 57 percent are feeling greater anxiety and more than 50 percent are saying they are feeling more emotionally exhausted."
Practices for employee well-being have been in place at Verizon Media, Gowrappan said, but the emphasis on services are needed more than ever.
"Companies will ultimately be judged by their actions. How quickly they change and define new norms to maybe support their employees and society," he said.
For Verizon Media, employee well-being is a priority, according to the CEO, but Gowrappan also said that the company is committed to providing support for its customer base.
"We started launching programs really focused on mental health and that how we're addressing all customer segments as well," he noted
Perhaps even more impressive is Verizon Media's commitment to the betterment of society at large through its creation of a life services platform and a donation of 10 million ad dollars, specifically for mental and public health services.
"We recently launched something called Yahoo Life, which is dedicated on providing well-being education, news, and resources for mental, physical, and emotional well-being," Gowrappan told Cheddar.
While spending is down across the board in most industries, particularly in ad spending, Gowrappan expects business to "bounce back" as the economy recovers from the effects of the pandemic.
"I do think there's going to be a positive momentum eventually. We feel good about that," he said.
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