Mental Health at Work: What Every Employer Needs to Know

Mentalhealthwebinar3x2

Mental health isn’t just a personal issue. It’s a workplace priority—and a business imperative.  

In today’s workplace, business owners and managers are navigating changing expectations around mental health. Employees—especially younger generations—expect transparency, flexibility, and real support. Meeting those needs requires updated approaches to communication, culture, and leadership.  

This webinar will provide leaders with the tools and insights to build a workplace that’s prepared, compassionate, and resilient.  

We’ll discuss:  

  • Why Mental Health in the Workplace Matters
    Understand the prevalence of mental health conditions, the real business impacts of burnout, disengagement, and turnover—and why supporting mental wellness is a smart strategy.  
  • How to Destigmatize Conversations
    Learn how to foster open, respectful dialogue about mental health while maintaining the boundaries of your role.  
  • What Employers Can do to Reduce Chronic Stress
    Hear about strategies for supporting well-being and utilizing available resources. 
  • What You’re Legally Required to Do
    Get clear on your obligations under the law—and how to support employees without increasing risk.  

Whether you’re managing a team of five or leading a statewide organization, this session will help you create a more inclusive, future-ready workplace. 

Click here for the slides, including links and resources, from the presentation.

This webinar was held on Thursday, April 17, 2025.

Panelists

Chatfield Headshot

Andrea Chatfield
Attorney
Sheehan Phinney 

Attorney Andrea Chatfield is a Labor & Employment lawyer at Sheehan Phinney. She provides practical advice and guidance to employers on risk management issues in the workplace. This includes both day-to-day personnel decisions that can have a high degree of liability if not done carefully, and high level policy-making decisions, such as developing employee handbooks, executive employment agreements, non-competition agreements, social media policies, and other organizational protocols. 

Andrea has successfully represented employers of all types and sizes before administrative agencies in discrimination, whistleblower, unemployment, and wage disputes. 

Andrea also serves as an outside investigator for employers who need to respond to highly sensitive internal complaints of discrimination and harassment. In addition, Andrea develops and conducts in-house trainings for businesses and other employers in such matters as preventing workplace harassment and how to manage within the law. She is frequently a public speaker on employment law topics. 

Moeckel HeadshotJennifer Moeckel
Shareholder
Sheehan Phinney 

Jennifer Moeckel is a Labor & Employment Attorney at Sheehan Phinney. She devotes her practice to assisting employers in complying with legal requirements during all phases of the employment relationship and defending employers in discrimination and other claims pending before state and federal agencies. 

Jen has more than 25 years of experience assisting employers with issues including: 

  • Hiring and background checks 
  • Non-compete and non-disclosure agreements 
  • Wage and hour laws and payroll compliance 
  • Employee handbooks and policies 
  • Drug and alcohol testing 
  • Safety and workplace violence 
  • Managing leaves of absence and requests for reasonable accommodation 
  • Performance management and best practices 
  • Preventing and correcting harassment, discrimination, and retaliation 
  • Corrective/disciplinary action, employee misconduct, and termination 
  • Layoffs/reductions in force 
  • Severance agreements 
  • Personnel files and recordkeeping 

 Jen provides in-house training for employers on issues including harassment prevention and managing within the law. She also conducts workplace investigations and defends employers before the New Hampshire Commission for Human Rights, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and state and federal Departments of Labor. Jen frequently presents on employment law topics for business, industry, and employer groups. 

Liz 24Liz Hodgkins, CVA
Deputy Director
NAMI New Hampshire  

Liz Hodgkins is the Deputy Director of NAMI New Hampshire (National Alliance on Mental Illness) and a Certified Volunteer Administrator. Prior to her role as Deputy Director, Liz served as the Adult Program Director at NAMI NH, coordinating state-wide programs and overseeing the administration of volunteers throughout the organization. For over 10 years, Liz has worked to strengthen NAMI NH’s services by developing robust volunteer programming, cultivating relationships with an essential network of 200+ statewide volunteers, advancing mission-driven programming, and growing the organization’s peer support capacity at transitional housing programs throughout the state. 

Liz’s extensive experience as a dedicated program and volunteer manager makes her adept at assessing community needs and effectively engaging staff, community, and volunteer leaders to advance organizational goals and principles. Specializing in maintaining strong relationships with volunteers and stakeholders, Liz works to grow community connections and amplify the voices and perspectives of lived experience. With community and collaboration in mind, Liz tirelessly seeks opportunities to expand and improve access to programming that benefits all Granite Staters affected by mental illness and suicide. 

Moderator

Ernesto 200x200Ernesto Burden
Vice President and Publisher
Yankee Publishing | New Hampshire Group 

Ernesto has been vice president digital for Newspapers of New England (NNE), group publisher at PennWell,  vice president of digital media for The Telegraph and NH.com and related sites, as well as digital media director for the Rutland Herald and Times Argus newspapers in Vermont, online editor for The Telegraph and NH.com, and a print editor and reporter with daily and weekly newspapers. He’s spent his career at the intersection of publishing, digital evolution and marketing helping both publishers and advertisers maximize their digital visibility. 

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