How to Build a Culture of Wellness in 2022
A recent Korn Ferry study found 89% of professionals feel burned out, with 81% reporting they feel more burned out now than at the start of the pandemic. After nearly two years of navigating COVID-19, remote work, and a crippled childcare system, it’s no surprise that we’re seeing a steep increase in depression, anxiety and PTSD among employees. In response, employees are increasingly looking to organizations to provide better healthcare, more flexible working environments and opportunities to connect and de-stress. When employees perceive a lack of support or indifference from their employers, they’re now leaving in droves, leading to the “Great Resignation.”
It’s critical for the health of employees—and the business—that leaders put wellness at the very center of their plans. But how? Here, we share tactical ways to support the physical, emotional and social health of employees and build a culture of wellness, inspired by companies leading the charge and our own work addressing these three areas here at Viscardi.
Physical
For employees to trust in a brand—one of the most important indicators of employee retention, productivity and employee happiness—they need to feel physically safe. This includes providing modern safety protocols, competitive healthcare, paid sick days, and easy-to-access resources to help them navigate what happens if they do get sick or injured on the job. It also involves crafting modern policies that go beyond what is state-mandated.
Physical health is also closely associated with our energy levels and vitality. To more proactively address employee’s physical health and personal energy, we’re seeing companies bring on wellbeing consultants to meet with employees individually, introduce healthier menu choices to their cafeterias (for onsite teams), offer in-person and virtual exercise and meditation classes and provide ergonomic chairs and work-from-home setups.
We have nurses on staff here at Viscardi, so we know the importance of small, daily practices to maintaining our physical health. In addition to much of the above, we encourage employees to stop and stretch throughout the day, to find a sunny spot to sit (to get that Vitamin D!) and to take breaks and lunches uninterrupted. Each spring, we also host a company-wide step challenge, where we inspire one another to get outside and get moving by logging our steps each day. It’s one of our favorite and most successful programs.
Mental
The CDC reported that 41.5% of U.S. adults exhibited symptoms of anxiety or depression in early 2021. Globally, seven in 10 people report that they are struggling or suffering, according to Gallup. As the Gallup report explains, “While [mental health struggles] can debilitate the individual, anxiety and depression disorders also can debilitate teams, families, schools and all institutions around them.”
There are a number of important ways we’re seeing companies address employees’ mental health, including providing more flexible working hours and offering employees paid mental health days to take care of themselves. At Viscardi, we implemented a program called Mental Health Time Off, which encourages employees to take half days, last minute, when they start to feel overwhelmed and/or just need a break. Employees have reported significant benefits from the time off, as well as a sense of relief in just knowing the program exists.
Beyond the mental health-focused programs and initiatives, creating a culture of wellness cannot happen without creating a culture of open communication. Employees will not ask for help, share their overwhelm or connect on a human-to-human level in an environment that shies away from talking about feelings or navigating hard conversations gracefully. This has important business implications, too: Research by Salesforce found that employees who feel their voice is heard at work are 4.6 times more likely to be empowered to perform their best work. We offer many mental health-focused programs and initiatives at Viscardi, but year-over-year our employees tell us the biggest impact on their mental health comes from our culture of talking openly.
Social
Remote work has taken away the daily social interactions and sense of belonging many people relied on. To support the social wellbeing of employees, we’re seeing companies do a number of creative things to keep employees connected, including dedicating group chats and Slack channels to work banter—sharing TV recommendations, funny memes, personal updates—that mimics some of the non-work related conversations colleagues would have in the office. At Viscardi, we start each morning with a check-in on our group chat, where we talk about what we watched the night before and how we’re feeling.
We’re also seeing companies host a range of virtual team-building events, including virtual pub crawls, scavenger hunts, dance parties, escape rooms, trivia, murder mysteries and even virtual city tours. At Viscardi, we recently started a themed book club that’s giving us an excuse to both read and gather.
Virtual volunteering is also an impactful way to connect employees and give back to the wider community. For example, Great Place to Work volunteered at the Smithsonian virtually and Salesforce hosted an online talent show for Latina Safehouse. (To find virtual volunteer opportunities, check out VolunteerMatch.)
Finally, we make a big deal about birthdays here at Viscardi. Joan, our CEO, asks the birthday person a few questions about their year and hopes for the future, and it always leads to interesting conversations and a deepened sense of connection. We know this is easier for smaller companies than larger ones, but electronic cards, manager check-ins and/or team get-togethers all contribute to feelings of inclusion and comradery. As you’re exploring how to build your own culture of wellness, don’t discount the smaller but meaningful moments that bring people together.
As you work to build a culture of wellness, keep in mind that it’s impossible to do so without leadership participation. If the company offers mental health days, but your boss, and your boss’ boss, doesn’t take any, that sends a clear message. For organizations to truly prioritize the physical, mental and social health of employees, leadership teams can’t just buy-in—they need to actively reinforce it, in both their words and actions.