Effective wellbeing programs are hard to come by. Wellbeing programs are more prominent than ever, yet half of employees never use them!
In this blog post, we’ll walk through some brand-new findings from HR.com on which employee wellbeing strategies work for HR leaders and their teams.
MENTAL HEALTH IS A PANDEMIC
94% of HR professionals agree or strongly agree that COVID-19 significantly reduced employee wellbeing at their company.
More people are struggling with mental health challenges than ever before—especially among Millennials and Gen Z.
At our Brain Trust and HR Support Group meetings, HR leaders express how stressed their workforce is and how difficult staying connected and supporting one another in a remote work environment is.
You may notice that employees miss meetings, get behind on tasks, and keep their video off during Zoom meetings.
As an HR leader, maybe you’ve experienced some of these things yourself. It can be hard enough to support yourself, let alone your entire team!
Related: 5 Common Challenges HR Leaders are Facing Right Now (+ Expert Solutions)
EMPLOYEES RESIST HELP
At least 1 out of 4 people struggles with a mental illness. Yet, many never seek help.
Increases in challenges like work-life balance, overwhelming workload, team communication, and anxiety have led most companies to take action. The key is to get employees to use the tools employers provide them.
While 94% of HR leaders say that their organization provides at least one initiative to support employee mental health and wellbeing, about 50% of employees still don’t seek help.
Why?
- Most EAPs and wellbeing programs fail to address the barriers to care
- Many companies have a wellbeing initiative but don’t make it a #1 priority
- Many employers only provide one employee initiative that does not meet a wide variety of needs
Keep reading for strategies that will help you overcome these things.
WHAT COMPANIES WITH EFFECTIVE WELLBEING PROGRAMS DO
Many companies miss the mark in these 6 areas. Read on to learn what the best of the best are doing to support employee wellbeing in their workplace.
1. Offer multiple different wellbeing initiatives
HR.com found that the most popular wellbeing initiatives focus on the following aspects of life:
- Physical
- Mental and emotional
- Workplace environment
- Financial
- Social
Some wellbeing programs (like Nivati) address all of these areas in a holistic wellbeing solution.
Related: Actionable Ways HR Can Support Employees in all 8 Areas of Wellness
2. Respond effectively to the COVID-19 pandemic
Employees that feel safe on the job will fare better in every area.
We highly recommend that you keep in mind how your company is supporting parents during this time. Parents have taken a huge hit these past couple of years—be there for them!
3. Reduce employee stressors in the workplace
Taking even small stressors out of everyday life can reduce employee stress.
Reduce the number of meetings your team has with tools like Volley. Set the example by turning off notifications at the end of your workday and not answering emails on the weekends.
Here are some more ideas on how to reduce stressors in the office.
4. Make mental health a high priority
If wellbeing and mental health isn’t a top priority, it will go to the wayside.
Recognize that if your employees aren’t doing well in their personal lives, they won’t perform well on the job. It is well worth the investment!
You can start by setting the example. Talk about your own mental health and wellbeing and how your company’s initiatives have helped you.
Also start training your managers on how to talk about mental health at work.
Check out our guide on employee mental health for managers.
5. Report better employee experience, retention, engagement, and performance
Your wellbeing programs need to address the barriers to care in order to improve the employee experience.
Things like:
- Therapist or practitioner availability
- Cost of care
- Time to get an appointment with a doctor or therapist
- The stigma around mental health
Read The Step-by-Step Guide to Increase EAP Utilization to see how companies increase engagement with their EAPs and wellness programs—improving the employee experience in the process.
6. Plan more wellbeing initiates in the next couple of years
So—what are HR leaders looking to add to their wellbeing toolbox in the future?
- Continuing remote work options
- Offering more flexible work schedules
- Supporting and providing more telehealth and teletherapy options
- Providing more educational resources on mental health and physical health
- Monitoring how workplace wellness and employee satisfaction are connected
We hope these strategies and insights help your team improve employee wellbeing!
Check out the two-page State of Employee Wellbeing infographic below, with key findings from the report:
For even more on how COVID-19 has affected the workforce, check out the HR.com presentation with CEO Amelia Wilcox and Lead Clinician Haeli Harris from September 21st. Check out The New Pandemic: Supporting Families in the Mental Health Crisis in the video below and read the blog post recap on the webcast here.
Disclaimer
By participating in/reading the service/website/blog/email series on this website, you acknowledge that this is a personal website/blog and is for informational purposes and should not be seen as mental health care advice. You should consult with a licensed professional before you rely on this website/blog’s information. All things written on this website should not be seen as therapy treatment and should not take the place of therapy or any other health care or mental health advice. Always seek the advice of a mental health care professional or physician. The content on this blog is not meant to and does not substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
