The workplace wellbeing problem cannot be solved with a yoga mat or a fitness wearable; it requires action from leadership. And the perception that organizations are investing in areas other than what employees need to get the job done can exacerbate stress and disengagement.

What Do We Need to Change?

What do we need to change about workplace wellness to make it sustainable not only for employers but also employees? Additionally, what do we need to change to provide employees with what they want out of a wellbeing program?

We know that the wellbeing among younger people dropped last year. Loneliness continues to be on the rise. Increasing rates of stress, anxiety, and depression are a major concern.

Historically, the workplace wellness industry has focused on interventions such as onsite biometric screenings, preventive care engagement, step challenges, incentive-based wellness platforms, mindfulness apps, and so on. While these offerings might initially seem like low-hanging fruit to improve employees’ experiences, they typically do not address the root issues when aiming to effectively build healthy organizational cultures.

Engagement can vary based on the company and how woven these interventions are into the company culture; but unfortunately, we typically see low engagement without huge swings in health behaviors. This intervention might have been more successful 10 to 15 years ago, but now the challenges employees and employers face are different and more complex. For example, how effective is a wellness-based incentive program for preventive care engagement if the department is completely understaffed and an employee cannot even find time in their work schedule to see their doctor?

Traditional wellness approaches, health population management strategies, and individual behavior change interventions do have value and are important. However, they cannot be the only intervention. To have lasting meaningful change, there must be improvements to organizational-level and management practices. This is where wellbeing with purpose comes into play. This starts with understanding the unique set of challenges employers face as well as those of their employees.

Here are some top examples we hear from leaders and employees today.

What leadership is concerned with:

  • Retention and attracting talent
  • Burnout and mental health concerns
  • Navigating a multigenerational workforce
  • Prioritizing a strong company culture with high employee engagement
  • Loneliness

What employees are navigating:

  • Not feeling supported by their manager or recognized for their work
  • Lack of transparency in a company communications and leadership
  • Desire for more time off and flexibility
  • Lack of belonging and inclusion
  • Concerns for their mental health and wellbeing

Wellbeing with purpose is all about finding balance between workforce culture, proactive wellbeing, and mental health. We need to start with the organizational dynamics before we can create lasting change with lifestyle and behavioral modifications.

This is what we know right now about the state of the workforce today:1 

  • Engaged employees = a more positive state of wellbeing
  • Engaged employees = more productivity, profitability, and sales for your company
  • Disengaged employee = higher levels of stress & negativity
  • Engaged managers = engaged employees

Crafting an organizational wellbeing program around your company and being purposeful with how you do it is essential.

Let’s start with hearing from your employees and see where there are areas of opportunity. Next, work with leadership to identify how to solve these challenges in a realistic, sustainable way for your organization. Then, train your managers on how to lead with purpose, support mental health and burnout, navigate generational dynamics, wellbeing, and more. Research shows that managers hold the keys to employee engagement and wellbeing. Managers can be more influential regarding one’s wellbeing than a therapist or a doctor.2

So, let’s take to time to uncover those systemic challenges, train your leaders, identify where we can create more opportunities for employee engagement, and do it with purpose.

Citations:

  1. Gallup, Inc. (2024). State of the global workplace: 2024 report – Key insights. Gallup. https://www.gallup.com
  2. **Eckert, T. (2023, January 24.) Managers impact our mental health more than doctors, therapists – and same as spouses. UKG.