Starbucks Offers Meditation App to Employees

As part of an initiative to improve its employees’ mental health and to break the stigma around mental health and support the mental health and well-being of its employees, Starbucks is adding a meditation app to its suite of comprehensive benefits and perks for employees.

All U.S. and Canada employees can sign up for a free Headspace subscription and have access to hundreds of themed sessions and easy guided meditations on everything from stress and sleep to focus and anxiety.  

"Our employees experience challenges with mental health firsthand every day-in their personal lives, in their stores, and in the neighborhoods they serve," says Molly Spence Sahebjami, director of social impact communications at Starbucks. "Over the past few months, Starbucks’ employees have shared dialogue, feedback, and ideas regarding mental health and well-being through online forums and employee networks. Based on this feedback, we have added Headspace to our suite of comprehensive benefits and perks."  

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The mental health crisis across the United States and Canada is a complex and difficult problem, with one in five adults experiencing mental illness in various forms each year, according to National Alliance on Mental Illness.

In the coming months, Starbucks aims to deliver a reimagined Employee Assistance Program (EAP) that connects more employees to quality care that meets their specific needs, as well as dedicated mental health trainings for U.S. and Canada store managers inspired by Mental Health First Aid,  a national program to teach the skills to respond to the signs of mental illness and substance use.