Waco Employers Must Offer Mental Health Support to Workers

Waco city workers filed 47 new requests for stress-related accommodations in the first quarter of 2026, according to McLennan County records released last week.

The filings come after Texas updated its employee assistance rules in January to require larger employers to document mental health leave options. The change matters in Waco because downtown offices along Austin Avenue and industrial sites near the Brazos River have reported higher turnover since 2024. Local clinics have seen appointment requests rise 22 percent in the same period.

Employer obligations in practice

Under the updated guidelines, companies with more than 50 staff must list mental health resources in their employee handbook by August. The Heart of Texas Region MHMR Center on 11th Street handles referrals for those requests. Workers on Franklin Avenue at the Waco Chamber of Commerce building can also schedule confidential sessions through the chamber’s new employee assistance partnership that began in March.

One program at Baylor Scott & White Medical Center on LaSalle Avenue offers eight free counseling visits per year for participants in its workplace wellness track. The center reported 312 Waco residents used the service between January and June.

Local programs and next steps

Residents near Cameron Park can join weekly stress management groups run by the Waco Family Medicine clinic on 15th Street. Sessions cost $10 for non-members and run on Tuesday evenings. Data from the Texas Workforce Commission shows 35 percent of Central Texas employees surveyed in 2025 reported daily work stress that affected sleep.

Staff at the MHMR Center advise calling 254-752-3451 to start an intake. Employees should review their company policy first, then bring documentation of symptoms to the first appointment. The next round of chamber workshops starts July 22 at the convention center on South University Parks Drive.