Three Ways To Simplify Workplace Wellbeing

Does addressing employee wellbeing feel complicated to you?

Does it feel complicated enough that you want to avoid addressing it altogether?

If so, you're not alone.

During the pandemic, there was a surge in very vocal (and very needed!) requests for wellbeing support from organizational leadership, especially mental wellbeing.

This was new and urgent and many leaders felt a lot of pressure to find solutions to support their teams AND keep the organization moving forward amidst so much uncertainty.

Over the past few years, there have been major shifts in understanding of what it means to be well at work.

Many policies and structures have been implemented, yet according to Mercer "Burnout continues to be at an all-time high. Health and safety is not just about benefits offerings, but about ensuring better well-being outcomes for all".

Since "the pandemic changed everything", their recommendation for this year is to "set your priorities based on what employees really care about and what will truly make a difference."

The problem is that even a focus on employee priorities can feel overwhelming because since there is no one-size-fits-all solution, it can be daunting to find ways to meet all (or most) wellbeing needs.

So how do we move forward in the post-pandemic era?

Here are my top three essential ways to simplify wellbeing at your workplace:

1. Offer wellness resources they want ... on their terms!Consider offering a Lifestyle Spending Account (LSA) or Wellness Stipend, providing employees with flexibility in managing their wellness-related expenses.From gym memberships to mental health counseling, LSAs empower individuals to allocate funds according to their specific needs and priorities.ClubHealth offers a diverse selection of personalized wellbeing tools and services that cater to diverse employee populations.This is a great way to increase engagement and improve overall health outcomes.
2. Focus on creating a wellbeing culture through leadership developmentWellbeing initiatives fall short without leadership support, involvement, and widespread adoption. Managers have a significant influence of employee engagement and wellbeing. According to: Forbes , "for almost 70% of people, their manager has more impact on their mental health than their therapist or their doctor—and it’s equal to the impact of their partner. Gallup , "managers account for at least 70% of the variance in employee engagement scores across business units. Consider partnering with a resource like Reverb , an HR consulting form that offers leadership development at all levels as well as 1-1 leadership coaching.If even talking about wellbeing within your culture is challenging then, check out Melissa Doman, M.A. 's book " Yes, You Can Talk About Mental Health At Work" and her new LinkedIn for Learning course "Navigating The Mental Toll And Stress of Leadership".
3. Move from isolated initiatives to integrated strategies.This shift communicates a sense of alignment with organizational values and builds trust.It means moving away from a "lunch-and-learn to check a box" approach to embracing a consistent employee listening strategy and addressing root cause issues that come to light holistically.It will also likely result in increased retention rates since the "majority (52%) of workers would be willing to take a pay cut to work at a company that has values better aligned with their own, according to Qualtrics. Need support? Reach out if you'd like to partner in developing an integrated wellbeing strategy that supports your team and your organization's holistic wellbeing.

Hi! ????

I'm Dr. Adeola Mead, a Naturopathic Physician and Workplace Wellbeing Consultant with 15+ years of experience.

My brand of holistic wellbeing coaching and consulting focuses primarily on improving mental and physical health to create greater individual & team capacity to achieve personal, professional, and leadership goals.

When we are holistically healthy, we perform better and so do our teams!

As a fractional chief wellbeing officer, I consult with leaders and individual team members to develop integrated wellbeing strategies that promote engagement and retention to ensure high ROI.

Contact us for a complimentary care consult or corporate collaboration consult.