(Note from Stephanie Lueras, Founder/CEO of Heart and Sole Fitness & Wellness: This is a guest article, not authored by me. Facts and claims are the responsibility of the author, Laura Putnam, but I’m certainly not disputing the importance of personal wellness and being present in our bodies to own and honor our needs. And if you’re a small business looking to revitalize or start a wellness plan alongside of and/or independent of traditional medical benefits, reach out to Denise O’Malley, Founder/CEO of You Define Wellness and have a no-pressure conversation about possibilities starting at $0/ppe)
August is National Wellness Month, a time for people to prioritize their self-care, manage stress, and promote healthy routines.
For employers, it’s also an opportunity to show their employees they genuinely care about their well-being by setting an example and implementing tangible policies that make meaningful change in their employees’ lives.
Laura Putnam, who has worked with hundreds of organizations and over 15,000 CEOs and managers to implement workplace well-being strategies, has put together a list of five ways employers can prioritize their employees’ well-being.
- First step is to address root causes. If CEOs and managers want to implement a workplace well-being strategy the first step is to recognize and identify the root causes of the problem. For example, the top drivers of burnout are often about the workplace itself, such as work overload. Once the root causes have been identified the next step is to implement meaningful change that makes a tangible difference, such as eliminating after-hour emails or unpaid overtime for salaried employees.
- Eliminate cookie-cutter employee benefits programs. Study after study shows many employee wellness programs fall short of actually helping. A study by RAND Health found that 80 percent of eligible employees actually opt out of their company wellness programs. Companies need to recognize that cookie-cutter benefit programs don’t work when the problem is the workplace itself. No amount of therapy or yoga can make up for a toxic boss.
- Well-being needs to be a collective responsibility. For decades businesses believed their employees’ well-being was an individual responsibility and placed the onus on the individual to seek help rather than looking at the larger systemic issues in the workplace. Today, businesses need to understand that employee well-being is a collective responsibility and requires a holistic approach and support from the CEO down.
- Managers can be multipliers of well-being – Managers play a critical role in cultivating a safe and caring workplace environment. To end the stigma around mental health, including discussions about loneliness, managers should be encouraged to speak openly about their own personal challenges.
- Encourage team care, not just self care. Establishing a culture of friendship within a team is critical. Teams can implement rituals, such as a moment of silence or expressions of gratitude at the start of meetings. These kinds of team care rituals can go a long way in building both friendships as well as psychological safety.
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Laura Putnam is a workplace well-being expert, international public speaker and author of Workplace Wellness That Works, about how employers can help their employees prioritize their well-being as part of National Wellness Month.
Laura is very well spoken and has shared her expert opinion and insight in dozens of media interviews over the years, including New York Times, Boston Globe, USA Today, ABC, Forbes, and more.
Heart and Sole Fitness & Wellness 