When employees connect, their wellness improves

Office birthday celebration; employees clapping, woman holding birthday cake, surprising coworker
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In our fast-paced working world where employees may or may not be in the same building, figuring out ways to establish connections is more important than ever — and it's simpler than we think. 

Employers have an essential role to play in creating and sustaining a caring work culture, from incorporating supportive benefits to practicing empathetic leadership. But day-to-day kindness among coworkers is pivotal to employee wellness, too. In addition to making the work experience more enjoyable, it improves outcomes — 94% of employees surveyed by onboarding platform Enboarder said they are more productive when they feel connected to colleagues.

"The workplace is very important to all of us in terms of it being a sense of connection and identity," says Dr. Kristin Tugman, VP of holistic wellness, health and productivity at Prudential. "But we get too caught up in all the goals we set out to accomplish from a business perspective and we forget about the human. How can we create a culture that is supportive of employees regardless of what's happening in their lives?"

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Small touchpoints go a long way in closing a connection gap. Tugman points to one of her studies, which looked at the return-to-work status of employees who had been out for at least 45 days due to a health condition. One respondent reported that though she had been with her company for 22 years, not a single coworker reached out to her during her absence. This, she said, prolonged her disability. Colleague connections are just as important as manager-employee connections, Tugman says.

"[We] don't always know what to say and what not to say," she says. "It's really just about, 'How are you? We're worried about you. We're here if you need us.' That can make all the difference."

Show support when someone is out

A small gesture such as sending a card signed by the team can help employees feel like they are cared about as humans and not just for their professional contributions. Want to send more than just a signature? Platforms like handwrytten.com give examples of appropriate messages and can create personalized cards as well. 

"Keep a box of cards as a team — all you have to do is send it around for people to sign or send around a digital card — and get it off to that individual," says Tugman. 

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Recognize life events

Celebrating people's milestones and accomplishments is a big part of comradery in the workplace. Going beyond birthdays and acknowledging important events like a child's graduation is great, Tugman says. 

"I've got somebody on my team who keeps a list of everyone's birthday, work anniversary and address," she says. "Any events like that, we make sure we at least recognize — that's a really important thing." 

Make connectedness the norm

When there is a sense of community within a team or workforce, employees feel more confident extending a helping hand or voicing a need for support.

"Ultimately, we're creating that sense of connectedness so that we know each other, and we can all raise our own awareness around when somebody might be struggling," Tugman says. "When coworkers know each other as individuals, they can say, 'You don't seem like yourself, are you okay?' And they feel okay to raise their hand and say, 'You know, I could use a little bit of help.'"

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