Employers must recognize the potential impacts of reduced employee engagement — particularly among economic changes and shifting job market conditions. A recent Gallup poll estimated that $322 billion is lost globally each year due to reduced productivity and turnover triggered by employee burnout.
Providing robust health and wellness resources for your employees is more important than ever. Directly supporting their well-being can lead to positive trends in productivity, decrease absenteeism and burnout, and help control healthcare costs for your organization.
Reinforce Your Commitment To Whole Health
An employee’s health encompasses their mental, physical, financial, and social wellness. To meet their needs, employers should consider offering whole-health resources like the SydneySM Health app, access to virtual primary care, and provide leaders who can reinforce an all-around healthier work culture — and bolster employees in each of these areas. Developing a purposeful whole-health strategy can also ensure that your internal resources are aligned to consistently support your employees.
Take steps now to examine your organization’s current whole-health offerings, from physical condition support to mental well-being resources.
Support Your Employees’ Physical Health And Wellness
Employees are generally familiar with how health coverage addresses acute care for specific events. But they’re often less aware of what’s available to support well-being, preventive care — including new virtual annual wellness visits — and condition-specific concerns.
Elevate these often lesser-known resources and promote a culture of positive self-care through the following initiatives:
- Support Virtual Care Options: Telehealth is a convenient complement to in-office doctor visits, especially during busy workdays and vacations. Employees can schedule online appointments 24/7 on their mobile device through apps like Sydney Health, giving them access where and when they need it while ensuring they feel covered and protected. Additionally, virtual access to primary care can cut individual costs by reducing urgent care and emergency room visits.
- Endorse Well-Being Programs For Improved Overall Health: Whether teams meet in-person or work remotely, you can host company-wide walk breaks, present an online health seminar, send informative health articles, or distribute information about the importance of a yearly physical. To increase engagement even more, programs like SydneySM Preferred offer seamless 3rd party vendor integration, which proactively improves health and lowers costs through its all-in-one innovative solution.
- Celebrate Time Off: Encourage employees to use their paid time off. Facilitating positive workplace relationships encourages teams to support individual time off, so everyone can both physically and mentally recharge. Sharing activities and key life moments may also foster a stronger sense of community at work, which is important for employee well-being.
- Add Incentives And Fun Challenges: Healthy competition can promote accountability and give individuals the motivation they need to make their physical fitness goals a reality. Winning tangible prizes or experiences can create fulfilling and attainable milestones along a larger journey to improved health, encouraging employees to stay on track. Even workers who opt out of the competition may find themselves inspired by the healthy habits of their colleagues. Local recreational sports leagues and other events like 5Ks can also be shared with employees.
- Maintain Good Health Habits: For hybrid or onsite roles, offices can encourage improved habits by providing water, offering healthy options for on-site snacks and food, designing ergonomic spaces, and other steps focused on better health and comfort at work. Consider incorporating nutrition trackers into your benefits program. Nutrition trackers can have a transformative impact and help employees learn about macronutrients like proteins, fats, and carbohydrates, while providing helpful information for doctors and dietitians. For example, the Sydney Health app offers an intelligent and innovative nutrition tracker that can analyze food, track intake, and help employees make better choices at no additional cost.
Prioritize Mental Health Initiatives
The American Psychological Association (APA) found that 81% of employees report their employer’s attitude toward mental health support is a key consideration when selecting their next role. Employees are increasingly aware of the importance of mental health support, and are looking to their employers to provide resources in this area.
- Promote Your Employee Assistance Program (EAP): An EAP offers resources like counseling, financial services, child or elder dependent care, or other confidential support — at no cost (or reduced cost) to employees. If you’d like add an EAP product to to enhance your benefit offerings, now may be a good time.
- Talk Openly About Mental Health: It’s more than a well-being concern; it’s a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) issue. Employees want an open and accepting culture, increased support, and clearer information about how to access mental health resources in simpler and more affordable ways. Knowing that their needs and identities are met with open support can drive employee positivity, both at work and beyond, and facilitate a healthier culture.
- Encourage Work-Life Balance: When you support workday breaks, regularly review workloads, and offer time off for self-care or volunteer opportunities, you send a work-life balance message that resonates. It’s just as important that you lead by example to show your employees how important it is.
- Consider A Hybrid Workplace: Employees want flexibility. A FlexJobs survey determined 58% of workers would look for a new job if they couldn’t work remotely. A hybrid workplace model offers the ability to collaborate and connect face-to-face, but also the flexibility to work from home which may actually boost productivity.
- Offer Financial Wellness Services: According to a recent PwC survey, 69% of employees say that mental health problems resulting from financial stress are likely to reduce their engagement at work, while 41% note they are too embarrassed to ask for help. Financial education through workplace programs like an EAP can help destigmatize money issues, empower employees to take action, reduce stress, and improve overall wellness. This also includes assistance with understanding health, life, and disability benefits.
Renewing your commitment to your company’s well-being can contribute to a healthier bottom line and healthier employees — in any economic climate. Give your workforce increased confidence and a greater sense of trust in your company by offering whole-person support at all stages of their uniquely personal health journey.
Sydney Health is offered through an arrangement with Carelon Digital Platforms, a separate company offering mobile application services on behalf of your health plan. ©2023 The Virtual Primary Care experience is offered through an arrangement with Hydrogen Health.