Craft an effective wellbeing strategy to improve employees' wellbeing, engagement and business outcomes
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Employee Wellbeing in the Workplace
Only 45% of employees believe that their organization cares about their personal wellbeing
Total rewards leaders are under pressure to offer effective wellbeing programs to attract and retain competitive talent. Choosing the right wellbeing benefits is important for improving employees’ wellness, engagement and business outcomes.
Download the Wellbeing in the Workplace guide to:
Understand the wellbeing offerings that matter most to employees
Discover less prevalent benefits with high impact on employee engagement
Craft an effective and competitive wellbeing strategy
About employees’ wellbeing in the workplace
Employees are struggling with their wellbeing — only about one third of employees surveyed over the past several years have rated their wellbeing favorably. HR leaders recognize this but are diagnosing the problem incorrectly and implementing the wrong solutions. Most organizations “bolt on” wellbeing in the workplace programs and offerings to mitigate the negative impact work can have on employee wellness. In contrast, some organizations have begun to realize that there are diminishing returns to adding more wellbeing programs. Additionally, their diagnosis places the root of employee ill-health within the organization itself.
To support their optimal performance, employees want and need the organizations they work for to respect and support their needs as people, not just as workers.
But organizations and their leaders have objectives and responsibilities too, such as managing costs, increasing productivity, investing in new capabilities and skills so their organizations can grow, and divesting from less promising areas. At times, the expectations of employees can feel mismatched to the resources available to leaders and the ROI expectations that come attached to the resources they do have.
The good news is that disciplined management and treating employees as people don’t have to conflict. In fact, organizations are finding that treating employees as people is central to how they manage, invest and achieve their objectives. Organizations that recognize this are embedding wellness into work itself to improve employee wellbeing and increase the number of employees who are performing at their best in a sustainable way.
When organizations respect and support their employees’ needs as people, they experience superior talent and business outcomes.
Employee Wellbeing FAQs
How do wellbeing offerings contribute to attracting and retaining talent?
The pandemic created monumental shifts in workplace practices, routines and mindsets. Employee wellbeing has suffered from overexposure to virtual interactions and difficulties disconnecting from work, leading to burnout. Job seekers are now focusing on benefits other than compensation packages.
What are the most common wellbeing benefits organizations offer employees?
According to Gartner research, the most common mental, physical, financial, career and family wellbeing benefits are employee assistance programs, healthy diet promotions, additional financial insurance, leadership development and family connection activities, respectively.
How can HR leaders boost employee participation in wellbeing programs?
Leaders should address low perceptions of program relevance, which is a top barrier across all types of programs. Organizations can more effectively communicate benefits by structuring offerings around employee needs before, during and after a major life moment.