Carewashing And It's Hidden Cost To Organisations

‘Carewashing’ is when an organisation creates the idea that they are addressing organisation wellness for their employees but in reality, they are not truly valuing what employees actually need. The token is aligned more with improving the organisations image. Employees have reported feeling further frustration at their employers as their organisations efforts are lacking authenticity.

?How Does This Affect Employees In The Workplace?

·????? An erosion of trust between employees and the organisation.

·????? Employees can experience a sense of isolation affecting their overall well-being.

·????? A reduction in employee engagement and job satisfaction.

·????? Employees can become triggered emotionally by the lack of authenticity and care.

·????? Employees can feel undervalued.

According to a study done by HRE Executive, 77% of employees would consider leaving an organisation that does not value well-being with 83% concluding that their overall well-being is just as important as their income.

A recent study found that only 24% of employees agreed that their employer cares about their overall well-being while 41% are not satisfied with the wellness ideas that are being in corporated into the workplace. 33% remained indifferent. The pandemic highlighted to employers the need to focus on employees mental health and emotional well-being as employees returned to the workplace but are employers honouring this area with the respect that it needs.

What Is The Hidden Cost To Employers

?·?????Talent retention may be threatened.

·????? An increase in absenteeism due to a lack of support at work.

·????? A decrease in employee productivity.

·????? A decline in company morale.

·????? The organisations reputation can be affected.

·????? Employee co-operation breaking down.

·????? Employee burnout.

·????? Higher turnovers annually.

·????? A toxic culture instead of a culture of care.

??The Current Wellness Initiatives

?·?????Yoga

·????? Motivational Speakers

·????? Mindfulness

·????? Online EAP Therapy

·????? Mental Health Day

·????? Pilates

Organisation go-to’s tick many boxes but do they align with the deeper needs of their employees. There is a disconnect between employer intentions and employees perceptions of wellness programmes. Many employees are experiencing deeper struggles that require a more holistic approach that will align more accurately to their needs. If employers want to create a culture of inclusion, safety and a sense of belonging, leaders need to be emotionally attuned to the individuals they lead and the current wellness programmes should include employees ideas as well as aftercare and a follow up to employees who avail of of EAP therapy.?

Why Leaders Matter

Human relationships are the foundation for success. Organisations need to inquire how their leaders are communicating with their employees and if their leaders are emotionally attuned. We speak about emotional intelligence but first we need to have emotional awareness. In any organisation, if you lead or manage a team of people, mandatory leadership therapy should become a new policy.

The result of this would be:

?·?????Leaders Leading More Effectively

·????? Healthy Communication Between Leaders And Teams

·????? Employees Feeling Respected, Understood & Empowered

·????? An Increase In Company Morale

·????? An Increase In Talent Retention

·????? An Increase In Employee Resilience

·????? A Decrease In Employee Burnout

·????? Attracting New Talent

?The ROI of True Wellness

Studies have found that 95% of organisations measuring the ROI of their corporate wellness programmes see positive returns. Many of these wellness programmes offered a holistic approach resulting in:

?·?????Improved Employee Productivity

·????? Talent Retention And Recruitment

·????? Healthcare Cost Reduction

·????? Increase In Employee Engagement And Job Satisfaction

·????? A Reduction In Employee Absenteeism And Presenteeism

·????? Improved Employee Resilience

?Conclusion

Organisations need to take the overall well-being of their employees more seriously when choosing wellness programmes. Organisations need to be called out if they are trying to offer a token instead of a solution. A holistic approach to wellness Including employees in the decision making of what they feel they need to be part of their wellness programme would be helpful. A focus needs to be placed on leaders and managers mental and emotional health to ensure employees feel like they are receiving the respect and care they need allowing them to fulfil their work duties to their fullest potential.

“People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you Care” – Theodore Roosevelt?

How can your organisation move from carewashing to truly caring??

Thank you,

James.

#mentalhealth #leadership #workplacewellness #carewashing