Fresh Minds and Groov have partnered to offer workplace mental health support through digital tools linked to clinicians. The tie-up targets a long-standing gap in how New Zealand workers use employer-backed support.

More than one in three New Zealand workers experience work-related mental health or wellbeing issues each year, yet only about 3% use traditional Employee Assistance Programmes, according to the companies. The partnership is based on the view that many workers do not take the first step towards support even when services are available.

Under the arrangement, workers can access support through Groov's platform within existing workplace systems, with a pathway to psychologists, behavioural health practitioners and wellbeing specialists at Fresh Minds if more help is needed. The model is intended to place support within the normal flow of work rather than rely on scheduled appointments or crisis intervention.

Staff may delay seeking help because they are unsure whether their issue is serious enough, worry about confidentiality, or simply do not know where to begin. The companies also pointed to the familiar "She'll be right" attitude as a factor in low engagement with traditional services.

Fresh Minds, part of ProCare Group, provides psychology and wellbeing services in person and online across workplaces, schools, the community and general practice. Groov provides a digital employee support platform that uses AI to offer guidance and answer questions within workplace systems.

Dr Tania Wilson, General Manager of Fresh Minds and Director of Psychological and Behavioural Health, said Fresh Minds sees the effects of delayed help-seeking in clinical settings. "People often don't know where to begin or delay reaching out until they're really struggling. By combining trusted clinical expertise with accessible digital support, we can help people take that first step sooner and make the journey through care much easier to navigate."

The companies are presenting the partnership as an alternative to a model in which support is often used only once an employee reaches a crisis point. Instead, the approach is intended to provide immediate conversations, guidance and coaching at an earlier stage, while preserving access to human care when specialist support is required.

Engagement gap

Groov said it has recorded engagement rates of up to 87% across customers, well above the use of traditional EAP services cited by the partners. The figure suggests the method of delivery may be as important as the existence of support itself, particularly if workers are more likely to use services embedded in tools they already use during the working day.

Matt Krogstad, Chief Executive Officer at Groov, said the aim is not to replace clinicians with software. "Mental wellbeing doesn't happen between nine and five, and it doesn't always fit neatly into an appointment. AI gives people somewhere safe to start the conversation immediately, while ensuring they can move into human support whenever they need it. It allows us to extend the reach of proven clinical care rather than replace it."

That distinction is likely to be central to how employers and staff judge the model. AI-led systems in health settings can raise concerns about privacy, reliability and whether people with serious issues may be diverted from trained professionals, but the companies said their system is designed to direct people onwards when a deeper level of care is needed.

Each workplace deployment uses a knowledge base that includes the employer's own policies, processes and information, alongside broader wellbeing support. The aim is to let staff ask practical questions and receive answers that reflect their organisation.

Krogstad said the platform may also reduce pressure on internal people teams. "Too often, support relies on people actively reaching out. By making wellbeing support available within the flow of work, we're making it easier to access in the moment people need it. That's why we're already seeing organisations begin onboarding the platform, with engagement rates of up to 87% across customers. Our latest-generation Ask Groov for Work platform is also helping HR teams answer many of the everyday questions they receive, freeing them to focus on higher-value conversations with their people rather than routine administration."

Broader model

The partnership covers immediate digital wellbeing support, access to qualified psychologists and behavioural health practitioners, employer wellbeing programmes, community wellbeing services, and tools for use between appointments. It also includes workshops and advisory work on psychosocial risk, wellbeing and workforce issues.

For employers, the model reflects a wider shift in workplace health support towards earlier intervention and easier access. Rather than expecting staff to seek out an external hotline or book a formal session, companies are increasingly testing ways to embed support in day-to-day working life.

For clinicians, the challenge is whether those systems can encourage people to act before stress, anxiety or other pressures become more acute. Wilson said the issue often begins with uncertainty about where to start, rather than a lack of need for help.

Fresh Minds and Groov are pushing that the main barrier in workplace mental health is not only the supply of services but the design of the first contact point. In a market where many workers experience distress but very few use formal support, the first interaction may prove as important as the care that follows.