How to Improve Employee Wellness in Hybrid Settings
Clark Lagemann, CEO of Avidon Health, discusses the increased demand for mental healthcare resources and what workers need, and how automation can help improve wellness program engagement.
Some are pleading. Some are demanding. But many leaders require workers to return to the office in person, either part or full-time. The demands for in-person work may vary in delivery (and harshness), but one thing is apparent: swaying workers back to the office is challenging. For starters, in-person work has employees stressed. Among those who returned to the office, 41% said the stress they experience has worsened, while 22% said it’s improved and 37% said it hasn’t changed, an April 2022 poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research revealed.
The fact remains that workers prefer a remote or hybrid working arrangement. Data from Gallup shows that nearly half of America’s full-time workers (about 60 million people) report their current job can be done remotely, at least part-time. Of these remote-capable employees, 60% prefer hybrid-work schedules, while 35% say they’d like to work all the time remotely.
Whether employees have an in-office or hybrid working arrangement, burnout and attrition are at all-time highs. On average, one in four employees surveyed by the McKinsey Health Institute reported experiencing burnout symptoms. Moreover, nearly 1/3 of workers reported distress symptoms despite their organization setting mental health and well-being as a priority.
Organizations that fail to address contributing workplace factors will pay the price in lost productivity, higher medical costs, increased turnover, and more. Companies are turning to personalized wellness programs to prevent and respond to burnout. Such programs, however, need to be adapted to hybrid-work settings to meet workers wherever they are—physically and mentally—the challenge: Launching programs at scale while keeping them personalized. There’s a solution. Companies can leverage technology and automation to address worker well-being.
Hybrid Work and a Growing Call for Mental Health Resources
Many workers aren’t rushing back to the office, and for a good reason. Gallup’s data further uncovered why workers prefer hybrid-workplace setups. The No. 1 reason: commute-less workdays. Workers, however, are split on how much of their work week they want to spend on-site—some 38% surveyed said they want to be in the office 2 to 3 days a week, while 29% would prefer to be in the office less than two days per week.
39% of employees who worked at home but have returned to the office say things have improved since returning in person, but nearly one in four workers say things have worsened. What’s more, workers across the board continue to struggle with different work arrangements.
Midway through our third pandemic year, one thing has become abundantly clear: workers are struggling with a mental health crisis. As anxiety, depression, and other disorders increase, workers are turning to an industry facing a crisis. Social workers, psychologists, and counselors from every state reported failing to keep up with an unyielding demand for their services. With an increased demand for mental health resources, corporate wellness benefits are ideal for addressing worker needs..
Addressing Employee Wellness Needs
Just as workplace preferences have shifted over the last two years, so too have people’s ways of communicating and consuming content. Across the board, we’ve become accustomed to utilizing digital tools, from chats to video conferencing, online resources, and pre-recorded content. People are also more drawn to bite-sized content—the incredibly engaging TikTok videos and Twitter threads. Companies can take a similar approach to wellness by tapping into societal trends by employing digital programs that meet workers where they are with engaging, personalized programming and resources.
It starts by understanding what employees need and want. Companies can tap into their workplace setups, cultures, and expectations to zero in on factors contributing to worker burnout and stress. Then it’s vital to understand employee wellness goals. Companies can ask what meaningful change means to employees. To workplaces? And how dispersed teams and cultural differences impact wellness programs and goals.
See More: 15 Simple Tips to Boost Workplace Engagement
Leveraging Technology to Drive Outcomes
So, how can companies adapt their wellness programs to meet employee needs in a hybrid workplace? Technology and automation are key to helping workers achieve positive behavioral changes to improve their health and well-being. Traditional, in-person wellness programs don’t fit into the hybrid-work mold, but they’ve also long grappled with how to attract, engage, and achieve sustainable outcomes. Companies and workers can realize several benefits by going all in on digital wellness solutions.
Improved Accessibility: Companies can create easily accessible ways for employees to ask for help. By embracing a digital health coaching program, every worker can get the help and support they want, and need, when and where they need it most. With a vast library of online videos, podcasts, and more, workers can access content on the go, at any time and any place they desire.
Increased Adoption: Online wellness engagement platforms allow companies to create personalized programs for their employees. With automation capabilities, taking care of enrollment, reminders, surveys, and more, companies can drive employee engagement at scale.
Enhanced Outcomes: Personalized care that blends human support teams, cognitive behavioral training with video-based educational modules, and a library of always-available content means companies can drive better outcomes and increase engagement. With everything available online, companies gain insight into reporting data that can be used to provide visibility into engagement and adjust programs according to employee preferences and feedback.
Employing Digital Wellness Coaching
When it comes down to it, a company’s wellness platform cannot fix its culture. A company’s resources and wellness offerings directly reflect its workplace culture. If employers want to help workers make lasting, sustainable changes, they need to prioritize the health and well-being of employees and remove the social stigma of needing mental health support.
Leaders should know that employees feel less supported now than when the pandemic started. Another Gallup poll found that only 24% of workers surveyed strongly believe their employer cares about their overall well-being—that’s the lowest percentage in nearly a decade and down from almost 50% who felt supported at the height of the pandemic.
Companies can turn this around and improve upon their eNPS at the same time by addressing their employee’s wellness needs head-on.
It’s time to ask: How is your company supporting your employees’ wellness goals?
Absent support from leaders, and caring company culture, workers are set up to fail in achieving their health and wellness goals. By leveraging technology and automation, companies can take a new approach to address employee wellbeing in the hybrid workplace.
How do you think technology and automation is improving wellness program engagement? Let us know on LinkedIn, Twitter, or Facebook. We would love to hear from you!
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