Editorial
The recent Gallup State of the Global Workplace 2024 Report found overall employee well-being declined from previous years, with only 34% of employees reporting that they were thriving. According to Gallup, “the majority of the world’s employees continue to struggle at work and in life, with direct consequences for organizational productivity.”
In contrast, companies that rank among the 2023 Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For have higher employee well-being, with 83% of employees reporting a psychologically and emotionally healthy workplace, leading to substantial boosts in productivity.
Supporting well-being clearly has potential to make a real bottom-line business impact, but offering a corporate wellness program alone doesn’t cut it in most cases. Instead, companies must look for ways to actively integrate employee well-being into their overarching employee experience strategy. But how?
Weaving Well-Being Into Organizational Goals
A good place to start is getting the C-suite’s buy-in to embed wellness into the fabric of the organization, ensuring that employee well-being is an organizational goal and business imperative. When wellness is prioritized as a company-wide goal and championed by leadership, it demonstrates to employees that their well-being is valued, making it more likely to be ingrained in the culture.
Weaving well-being into the company’s strategic goals signals to managers that it is a serious priority. It encourages them to allow employees time to participate in well-being programs and gives managers the confidence to create supportive environments as part of their team goals.
This not only improves mental health and reduces burnout but also makes it more likely that employees will engage fully with their work, leading to higher productivity and better business outcomes. Moreover, prioritizing employee well-being not only enhances productivity but also boosts shareholder value. It’s a win-win situation.
Related Article: Workplace Well-Being Efforts Are a Band-Aid, Not a Cure
Supporting Well-Being With Effective Communication
Effective communication is crucial to the success of any well-being initiative. According to a survey from Amwell, a hybrid care platform, about 85% of employees don’t use the mental health benefits that are available to them through their health plans. This is partially due to employees not being aware of what mental health benefits are offered in their benefit package, not knowing how to access their benefits and finding their benefits confusing.
Organizations should ensure that communication about well-being is clear, accessible, and personalized to reach all employees, especially those who may not have easy access to traditional communication channels — like the 80% of deskless employees who may not have access to email.
Prioritizing personalized communication methods can ensure that employees receive relevant wellness messages when they need them most. This could mean a mobile push notification about counseling services sent to an employee returning from bereavement leave, or a tailored message about financial assistance programs during a stressful economic period. Such timely communication makes employees feel supported and encourages them to take full advantage of the well-being resources available to them.
Related Article: Why Organizations Still Struggle With Burnout – and How to Tackle It
Creating a Culture of Openness and Support
Training managers to effectively communicate about employee well-being is another key component to integrating wellness into overall employee experience strategy. When managers are equipped with the skills to discuss wellness issues, like behavioral health challenges, in a sensitive and supportive way, it helps create a culture of openness where employees feel comfortable seeking help without fear of stigma.
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This training should include methods for recognizing signs of stress and burnout, understanding how to initiate conversations about sensitive topics like behavioral health, and knowing how to guide employees to the appropriate resources.
The bottom line? Attitudes about employee mental health are shifting. Historically, employees were expected to manage their stress levels or seek support independently. Now, employee well-being is considered essential for long-term business success — and therefore must be treated as a strategic business priority rather than simply an add-on HR benefit or employee experience afterthought. Considering well-being a core aspect of the employee experience strategy, and weaving it into the fabric of the organization, creates a more supportive and engaging work environment that can retain talent and foster a thriving, productive workplace culture that benefits all.
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