A BNY Mellon sign is seen on their headquarters in New York's financial district, January 19, 2011. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNEW YORK, Dec 1 (Reuters) - BNY Mellon (BK.N) will increase its minimum wage next year to $22.50 an hour from $20 and expand mental health benefits for employees, the bank said in a statement on Friday. Bank of America (BAC.N) raised its minimum hourly wage to $23 in October, heading toward a goal of $25 by 2025. BNY Mellon will also expand its mental health benefits to cover 12 therapy sessions a year, expanding from five currently. "We want our employees to feel valued and know that they are being compensated competitively," said Sharyn Jones, BNY Mellon's global head of talent.

---

Persons: Brendan McDermid, BNY Mellon, Sharyn Jones, Lananh Nguyen, Sharon Singleton Organizations: REUTERS, BNY, Bank of America, Thomson Locations: New, U.S