5 priorities for employers developing effective well-being programs

December 11, 2020 10:45 AM

The coronavirus pandemic has stripped the world of its daily routines and brought an unprecedented amount of uncertainty into every aspect of people’s lives. According to a recent report by the Society for Human Resource Management, over 40% of employees feel hopeless, burned out or exhausted after a day’s work because of stress resulting from COVID-19.

While well-being programs that encourage physical activity have been traditionally hailed as a top priority for many workplaces, the pandemic has shifted employees’ desires toward more holistic well-being support, including help managing their emotional, social and financial health. Our current public health crisis has intensified a slew of stressors that employers can help alleviate with the right benefits, which, in turn, can lead to a healthier, happier and more productive workforce. Now is the time for employers to adapt their wellbeing programs — and how they get employees to engage with them — with intention.

Pairing data from a recent survey of 1,000 employees across the U.S. with insights into the effectiveness of multi-channel communications from companies across the country, we identified five priorities for employers looking to develop effective wellbeing programs:

Offer personalized well-being support

More than 80% of the employees surveyed believe everyone at their company is offered the same resources, regardless of individual needs and goals. Additionally, over half of workers say they have received irrelevant support. Employees need support for all areas of their well-being, be it physical, financial, emotional or social health. Naturally, priorities and hardships vary based on factors like a person’s age, gender, marital status, living conditions, wages and more, and each individual requires support in different areas of their life.

Knowing this, employers should not apply a one-size-fits all approach when developing a well-being program. The absence of personalized support results in lower engagement and thus is a waste of time and money that could be better allocated to support a workforce. Leveraging technology like machine learning and advanced analytics can provide employers with valuable insight into the individual needs of their employees so they may tailor their well-being offerings accordingly.

Make it easy for employees to find resources

Only 16% of employees surveyed strongly agree that they know where to find all the health and well-being resources available to them. Too frequently, their benefits are spread across several websites, with logins that can easily be forgotten. Additionally, entry level employees may be particularly overwhelmed by the unfamiliar protocol of enlisting themselves in multiple well-being programs.

Providing access to all programming in a single, easy-to-navigate platform will help employees become better acquainted with their wellbeing resources. Not only can this platform serve as a one-stop-shop for employees, but employers will have one location to pull employee engagement insights from to assess feedback on their well-being program. Pairing the insights from a well-being platform with advanced analytics can also help employers ensure they are investing in and delivering the right programs to employees at the right time.

Think creatively about benefits offerings

Employees are growing disinterested in traditional benefits offerings such as commuter refunds and lunch with company leadership. Instead, they’re showing greater interest in benefits that help them achieve optimal work-life balance, such as extra vacation time, flexible work schedules and customized wellness support.

Having an accurate read on the desires of a workforce is the first step for employers in developing an effective well-being program. Conducting an employee survey can help employers better understand the specific needs of their employees and tailor benefit investments accordingly. While priorities vary across industries, the importance of work-life balance is applicable to all. Thinking of new ways to support employees which align with the unique culture of a company as well as their personal values and aspirations can increase employee engagement. Perks like early release “Summer Fridays” may help retain employees and attract new talent. Demonstrating concern for employees’ well-being inside and outside of work will go a long way to fostering a happy, healthy and productive workforce.

Use multi-channel, multi-cycle campaigns to engage employees in a disconnected world

With more people working remotely, employers need to reach out often and in different ways to bridge the digital gap and keep employees connected and engaged. Using multiple communications channels and developing multi-cycle campaigns that have the same call to action will improve the chances messages will be heard and actions will be taken.

During Open Enrollment, now is the time for companies to make sure they have the right communications channels in place and a good strategy to get messages out. The last thing employees need is more stress because they missed an email about the enrollment deadline. This year, companies can use direct mail to promote open enrollment events and deadlines, send email invitations for informational Zoom meetings and use interactive voice response (IVR), email and text messages to prompt and remind people to take action. This type of outreach also applies to keeping employees engaged and participating in well-being activities.

Institute a company-wide effort to cope with stress

It’s safe to say that nobody is immune to workplace stress. With that, 58% of employees feel like their direct manager supports their wellbeing, but their company-wide efforts to manage stress fall short.

Stress-reducing initiatives should be customized to each specific workforce. Some fields are higher stress than others; however, regardless of what industry a company is in, there is opportunity to create a support system for employees that encourages them to raise their hand when they need help with no penalty. This could come in the form of “Relax & Refresh Days” or company-wide “Monday Movement” meetings that take fifteen minutes out of the workforce’s day to get up and stretch. Offering healthy coping mechanisms is more important now than ever. No one knows how long the pandemic will last, but many people will surely feel more isolated when the winter hits and the outdoors aren’t as accessible.

Improving employee participation in well-being programs requires a layered, strategic approach. Personalized, easy-to-locate programs will be better received and have higher completion rates than one-size-fits-all approaches. It is critical for employers to offer the right well-being support for their employees, particularly since employee retention, morale and workplace productivity are directly related to total well-being. Ensuring that employees feel supported during a public health crisis like the coronavirus pandemic will also garner positive sentiment, promoting trust and loyalty in the workplace. A company is only as good as its employees, so placing precedence on a well-developed well-being strategy is no longer an option – it’s essential.