Embracing the dawn of a new year provides a valuable occasion to reflect on lessons learned and accomplishments. For most businesses, this entails setting priorities, fortifying values, crystallizing goals, and fostering the retention of their workforce. A prevailing and integral aspect of employee retention and engagement often revolves around cultivating a culture of wellness.
In a recent article by McLean & Company, 83% of organizations acknowledge the importance of employee wellbeing, but this has not necessarily translated into action. In fact, 66% of organizations report that they do not have a wellbeing strategy in place, and many organizations that do have a formal wellbeing program see limited uptake of wellbeing initiatives among employees. The traditional approaches to overall wellness are not working.
Here are some tips for moving forward with implementing a comprehensive wellness plan:
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Focus on a Holistic Approach to Wellness
- Physical Health: Provide access to on-site or virtual wellness consultations and company wellness challenges to encourage physical activity.
- Mental Health: Offer access to mental health resources, such as employee assistance programs (EAPs) and mindfulness exercises.
- Emotional Health: Encourage social connections and emotional wellbeing through team-building activities and employee recognition programs.
- Financial Health: Present options such as financial education workshops, retirement planning resources, and access to financial counseling services.
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Tailor your Wellness Plan to Employees Needs
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- Create wellbeing committees: Establish cross-functional wellbeing committees that involve employees from different departments, roles, and levels within the organization.
- Seek Feedback: Conduct surveys to gather employee input on wellbeing initiatives and identify areas of concern.
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Address Other Barriers
- Acknowledge that many sources of stress at work are outside of employees’ control, with workload, time demands, role clarity, etc.
- Given these broader-level influences, it is critical to consider the organizational culture, role of leadership, and the overall employee experience to embed wellbeing as an organizational value.
Developing a holistic approach to employee wellbeing provides an opportunity to improve the employee experience and can result in long-term benefits that support the bottom line and strategic organizational objectives.
Sources: McLean & Company, Corporate Wellness Magazine.com
By Dana Weidinger, courtesy of SBAM-approved partner, ASE.
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