Creating Workplaces That Support Employee Wellness

Originally published by CEO Magazine
Written by Steve Lang, President & CEO dancker

Creating Workplaces That Support Employee Wellness

Excerpt: The word “wellness” might conjure mental images of meditation sessions, bike commutes, or bowls of whole grains and greens. But there’s more to this trend. The Global Wellness Institute estimates that the wellness industry is now worth $4.2 trillion and growing rapidly. Many people of all demographics are motivated to take their health and wellbeing into their own hands, and increasingly seek out employers who’ll support them in this effort.

For employers looking to hire in this environment, providing a desk, computer, phone, and a paycheck is clearly no longer enough to keep employees happy. Recognizing that people are any organization’s most valuable asset – and that turnover is both time-consuming and expensive – business leaders increasingly are taking steps to support their employees’ interest in wellness by investing in strategies that reduce stress and increase job satisfaction and personal happiness.

With that in mind, many companies have instituted policies that allow employees to work from home one day a week, reclaiming some of the time normally lost to commuting. Others have adapted flex-time schedules, enabling employees to make their own choices about when and how they want to work. Still others encourage workers to move from their desks to some other space in order to get a change of scenery and socialize with their colleagues.

All these strategies are designed to improve employee morale and, of course, their wellness, ultimately motivating workers to do their best on the job. Recognizing that shifting workforce demographics mean a greater mix of generations in the workforce with differing attitudes about wellness, though, many employers are going beyond simple policy changes to turn their entire workplace into a means for effectively engaging employees.

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CEOWorld Magazine