Rethinking Your Approach to Workplace Wellness
The most common reason workplace wellness programs fail is because of the generic, one-size-fits-all generic approach that assumes all employees’ health and wellness problems are the same. Rather than meeting employees where they are and engaging them with programs designed to address their personal health and wellness needs, these broadly programs do not yield desired wellness outcomes because they simply don’t address employees’ diverse physical, emotional, mental, financial, and even spiritual health needs.
Luckily, personalizing wellness is a sure way to improve employee engagement and boost health, productivity, and retention. By focusing on the individual needs and contexts of employees and streamlining your workplace wellness solutions to meet those needs, employers are better able to address the psychosocial, physical, and behavioral drivers of health and address each employee’s specific needs.
A great place to start is by bolstering your mental health offerings!
During the pandemic and the period that has followed, mental health problems have surged. From the isolation to dealing with the deaths of loved ones, pandemic anxiety, and the economic impacts of the pandemic have heightened stress and unveiled a vast array of mental health challenges.
According to a 2021 survey by the American Psychological Association, 79% of employees had experienced work-related stress amid the pandemic, including loss of interest, motivation, or energy, and lack of effort at work; 36% reported cognitive fatigue; and 44% reported physical fatigue. To shift the paradigm in 2023, it’s imperative for employers refocus on mental health and offer mental well-being programs that reshape the workplace culture around mental health.
Begin by reviewing how work affects employees. Consider measures your company can take to help mitigate stress at work and better understand employees’ workloads as they relate to their time, skills, and ability to achieve work-life balance. Also consider offering more mental health support through employee assistance programs, digital self-help tools, virtual therapy sessions, and easy access to tele-mental health care.
A recent survey by leading global advisory, Willis Towers Watson (WTW), revealed an uptrend in workplace wellness offerings, as more employers are beginning to integrate these mental health strategies into their workplace wellness offerings. Findings from the survey revealed that 67% of U.S. employers plan to make mental health and emotional well-being programs and solutions one of their top three health priorities over the next three years. By recognizing the value of mental health support in the workplace, particularly in the post-pandemic context, employers are better able to address and support employees.
