Light! Wellness! Productivity!

What jumps out in a recent survey of employee attitudes toward workplace design? Wellness, together with a basic human need to access the outdoors. The overwhelming importance respondents placed on accessing resources to support employee mental health and well-being is a critical data point in the 2019 Work Environment Survey conducted by Capital One. Maybe it should not be so surprising – employees and employers are having to navigate the new 24/7 work environment of rapid innovation, constant connectivity and endless technological disruption (along with integrating five generations into the workplace). What the 2019 Work Environment Survey seems to indicate is this: giving employees (regardless of generation) light and support, can help foster a more satisfied, productive (and likely, healthier) workforce.

Pulling from the survey, here are employee expectations as it relates to supporting mental health and well-being you should take note of:

87% of employees agree it’s important that employers create spaces and programs to support mental health and well-being. Millennials and Boomers feel stronger than Gen X on this point. With a lot of discussion about college student mental health issues (anxiety, depression, panic attacks, burnout), expect this employee expectation only to continue to grow.

The survey reveals a few surprising ways to address the need to support employee mental heath and well-being. 53% of employees surveyed cited access to natural light as a mental health resource that would improve their satisfaction at work. 25% would like a communal dining area for lunch, coffee or snacks. The number one request (67%) in this area was for a flexible schedule.*

Active break opportunities is one of the top well-being “perks” employees are seeking from employers – which aligns with another finding: 89% of survey respondents agree they are able to work better when they have spaces in the workplace to take a break.

A flexible schedule creates a healthy work environment that retains talent too. 81% of the employees surveyed in 2019 ranked a flexible schedule in their top two reasons to say with a company, up 8% from 2018.**

The big takeaway: employers of choice will make mental health and well-being a cornerstone of the workplace experience.

The 2019 Work Environment Survey asked 3500 full-time office professionals, aged 18 years and older, to share their thoughts about the impact of workplace design and employee experience on their satisfaction, creativity and productivity at work. The survey is comprised of national respondents together with respondents in five designated markets (San Francisco, Dallas, Chicago, Washington, D.C. and New York City). Urban professionals (based on the market specific findings of the survey) want to see even more resources to support their mental health and well-being.

My career thrives on collaboration, so I’m thrilled to partner once again with Capital One on sharing the results and key findings of this survey. Discover more of what today’s talent needs, wants and expects from the work environment here in the full 2019 Work Environment Survey.

*According to FlexJobs 2019 Annual Survey, a variety of professionals are seeking flexible work arrangements for a range of reasons from pet ownership to personality type (introvert), being semi-retired, a caregiver or a fitness enthusiast.

**The FlexJobs 2019 Annual Survey reported a similar finding: 80% of respondents said they would be more loyal to their employers if they had flexible work options.

Check out episode 2 of my Business Builder Show interview with Stefanie Spurlin, VP Workplace Solutions at Capital One:

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