6 Trends In Employee Wellness

February 13, 2023

iStock-1207514066.jpg

6 Important Trends In Employee Wellness To Watch Out For

Here are six employee wellness trends that every HR manager should keep an eye out for:

1. Telehealth/Hybrid Healthcare

Many of us have become accustomed to virtual healthcare since the global lockdowns. It has grown to be a convenient part of our lives.

People no longer have to stress about juggling their schedules or taking paid time off just so they can go for a brief check-up or tend to their health. Instead, they can access health information and services remotely.

So, it’s no surprise that 80% of companies planned to invest more in telemedicine in 2022. Many businesses, like Amazon with its Amazon Care program, have started investing in telehealth medicine or hybrid medical. They do this by offering the following to their employees:

• Virtual appointments and bookings
• Free telemedicine app or system access
• 24-hour health assistance

2. Mental Health Programs

Mental health has several benefits for your employees. When employees feel mentally well, they can deal with stress and pressure more easily. They can find a good work-life balance and produce better quality work.

In addition, mental health programs can equip your employees with the necessary tools to identify and assist colleagues who may be going through a difficult time. As a result, these programs can foster more harmonious work relationships and better team collaborations. This shows the importance of good employee mental health for optimized workplace productivity.

According to WHO, businesses around the world lose an estimated 12 billion working days annually to depression and anxiety. This comes at a cost of $1 trillion every year in lost productivity. Providing mental health resources can help reduce this cost.

Mental health employee benefits to consider include:

• Mental health education, training, and coaching
• Free on-site or virtual therapy
• Free mental health apps and systems
• Mindfulness and meditation

Take the benefits available to Starbucks employees as an example. In 2020, the company expanded its mental health program to include 20 free therapy sessions with Lyra Health, immediate treatment booking, and access to various resources for partners.

3. Personalization

Employee wellness is not just about offering generic, organization-wide benefits. It’s also about understanding the needs of each individual. Personalization as an employee wellness trend is likely to continue growing. But what does personalization look like?

Well, it is about convenience and choice. These are benefits that employees can select and use when they decide to improve their well-being. Take a page out of Google’s in-office personalized offerings that workers can pick from, such as:

• Healthcare services like chiropractors, physical therapists, physicians, etc
• Fitness center access and classes
• Shared/community bicycles
• Massage services
• Professional skills upgrades (eg. coding programs)
• Personal skill lessons (eg. cooking or guitar classes)

4. Workplace Flexibility

One of the top trends in employee wellness is providing workplace flexibility. The pandemic forced many companies to adopt a remote work approach. By working from home, employees were able to balance their work and personal lives better. This helped reduce stress and improve their mental health and wellness.

Additionally, employees are actually more productive when they work from home, making this type of structure beneficial for companies. And this is why workplace flexibility is becoming a top trend with many companies adopting a hybrid work structure.

Employees want flexibility so that they can manage their time in a way that suits them. Providing this flexibility empowers employees and gives them more autonomy. It builds a trusting and healthy work environment and helps employees achieve a better work-life balance. This is key to enhancing employee wellness.

To improve your workplace’s flexibility, consider the following strategies:

• Adopt a hybrid work structure
• Provide remote working opportunities
• Have flexible working hours
• Consider part-time work arrangements

5. Financial Packages & Benefits

Financial worries can negatively impact a person’s work ethic, productivity, performance, and overall well-being. Finances are a significant stressor for many. They often affect various areas of an individual’s life including their personal, social, and mental health.

Having financial support available to your staff can have positive impact on these facets. This support has become especially important as workers face a global recession and the financial consequences of the pandemic.

Furthermore, your business stands to save money by prioritizing this aspect of employee wellness. This is because increases in disengagement, unproductive behavior, tardiness, and absenteeism can be linked to financial stress

These are some of the ways that you can introduce financial wellness support:

• Financial education
• Planning assistance
• Accessible financial apps and systems
• Discounts, reimbursements, subsidies, and other financial contributions
• Institutional collaborations with financial businesses for your employees’ benefit

6. Family Support

Family is one of the most immediate and direct factors that influence employee wellness. This is because it is inextricably linked to various aspects of the individual like finances, mental and physical health, availability, and more.

When an employee has a well-balanced, healthy, and present home or family dynamic, it can have a positive impact on their work. The opposite is also true if their family life isn’t flourishing.

Although this is not an area that is entirely within your control, establishing a family-inclusive wellness program can assist employees. You can do this through:

• Flexible work hours or breaks
• Child care
• Family-inclusive healthcare packages
• Office events and activities for the whole family

One company to take inspiration from here is Salesforce. Salesforce offers their employees generous parental leave and flexible family care options. They also provide family medical leave and flexible work schedules. This ensures their employees don’t have to stress about choosing between work and family.

The Bottom Line

Making your employees feel valued is key to running your business well. As an HR manager, designing employee-centric wellness programs is a must. It can have a positive impact on productivity, collaboration, performance, and other factors.

Wondering where you can learn about the products, services, and other benefits your employees will value? Collaborate with us to create an exceptional program for your staff.

< Return to New and Noteworthy