Tag Archive for: mental wellbeing

4 Workplace Wellness Trends to Watch in 2023

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The global workforce experienced some big shake-ups in 2022, including the widely-discussed phenomena of ‘The Great Resignation’ and ‘Quiet Quitting’. Employees began the year with masking and distancing guidelines still in place, and many ended with navigating return-to-office mandates and newly formalized policies around hybrid work. It was a year of change, to be sure.

What has become abundantly clear a few weeks into 2023 is that employees expect wellness to be woven into their company’s business and leadership model – not just a quota-filling program or initiative. It has increasingly become an imperative – something employees are looking for and vetting prospective employers on.

Here are 4 wellness trends that companies are likely to prioritize in the coming year:

 

 

Mental Health & Wellbeing will Continue to be a Priority

Employee burnout continues across the worker spectrum, yet it appears Gen Z and millennial workers are experiencing burnout at some of the highest rates. According to a 2022 Deloitte survey of Gen Z and millennial workers, 46% of Gen Zs and 45% of millennials feel burned out due to the intensity/demands of their working environments.

The same survey found that one in four millennials and one in five Gen Zs do not believe that their employer takes burnout seriously, which indicates that many employers have yet to fully comprehend, let alone address, how burnout is impacting their business operations. This is an important issue for employers to focus on this year, with these two groups set to make up well over half of the workforce by 2025.

While mental health services and employee assistance programs should always be a first-line go-to in this regard, look to supplemental offerings like yoga, meditation, and nutrition classes to help employees stay in touch with the state of their physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing.

Hybrid Work = Hybrid Wellness Program

Organizations will continue to refine their corporate wellness programming for the hybrid workforce. The fall of 2022 brought many organizations increased certainty about what sort of structure they would continue with, be it a full return to the office, or a more formalized hybrid work model.

Many companies have adopted or are in the process of adopting virtual/on-demand offerings paired with on-site offerings like massage, cooking demos and yoga/movement classes.

For on-site programming, choose days when most employees will be in the office, like anchor days (or the equivalent at your company).

Memberships to on-demand wellness platforms have become a popular virtual offering for their ease of access and cost effectiveness for companies. Choose a platform that offers a wide range of class and webinar categories to increase the chance of appealing to a broad range of employees.

Financial Wellness Guidance & Resources

Finances are a huge stressor for employees given the recent economic climate. Soaring inflation and news of recession/widespread layoffs have been stoking a sense of uncertainty for some time.

According to the 2022 PwC Employee Financial Wellness Survey, 76% of stressed employees say financial worries have had a negative impact on their productivity. 25% of them say the impact has been severe.

Employers can take a multipronged approach to reduce employee stress around finances by offering personalized financial support, as well as more generalized classes and webinars on common topics such as how to set a realistic budget, how to navigate major financial changes, and how to talk with their partner about money.

Employees often benefit from programming that takes a holistic approach by acknowledging the psychological and emotional components of financial matters that impact many employees’ relationship with money and, thus, hinder their ability to make positive change.

Workplace Wellbeing is a Responsibility Shared by All.

While the employee wellbeing burden has been shifted off the individual in recent years and into companies’ court has been in the spotlight in recent years, the reality is that it is a shared responsibility – it takes two. It is the job of employers and employees alike to actively work together to foster well-being-centered, psychologically safe workplaces with an underlying sense of community and care.

It is also a great practice to have a network of workplace wellbeing professionals you can call on. Bring in partners who specialize in holistic workplace wellness programming to provide support when and where it is needed most, and whose offerings are diverse enough that they can be adaptable to changing employee needs.

If your company is seeking to uplevel its commitment to employee wellbeing this year in any of the areas outlined above, contact us for a complimentary consultation.

 

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Urban Balance is the premier provider of comprehensive on-site corporate wellness services including massage in the Portland, Oregon metro area and offers virtual workplace wellness programming worldwide. We deliver livestream and on-demand classes, webinars, and special events to the workplace environment for happier employees and a healthier bottom line.

Browse our virtual wellness services catalog with offerings including yoga, Pilates, Tai Chi, Zumba, HIIT, Barre Sculpt, meditation, nutrition, learning opportunities, and more.

Discover the benefits of the Urban Balance on-demand video library, a workplace wellbeing solution with 350+ holistic wellness classes. Includes membership options for companies and individuals.

8 Ways Companies Can Celebrate Mental Health Awareness Month

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May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Originally named by Mental Health America in 1949, this important awareness month encourages individuals and organizations to champion mental health awareness and to normalize conversation and action around matters of mental health and wellbeing.

There has been extensive conversation around the topic of employee mental health and wellbeing over the past few years, and rightly so. Though the pandemic has eased in many ways, employees are still facing challenges to their mental health and wellbeing. Persistent and widespread stressors include conflict around heading back to the office, overwork from staffing issues causing teams to be spread thin, and an undercurrent of global political unrest, among others. This creates a recipe for anxiety, depression, and burnout.

Why acknowledgment of Mental Health Awareness Month matters

Given the state of the world, mental health and wellbeing continue to be top workplace concerns. Everyone is affected to some degree. The good news is that addressing this topic in a meaningful way has the potential to bring employers and employees together by creating a healthier workplace.

Companies must lead the conversation around mental health and wellbeing, listen to employees, and provide benefits that make a difference in their lives. Acknowledging mental health is key to fostering a culture of psychological safety at work. Corporate wellness programs produce the best results for employees when paired with top-down, big picture culture change that allows employees to be themselves at work and feel valued for who they are.

Addressing multiple dimensions of wellbeing, holistic wellness practices boost feelings of connection, which prove integral to our sense of overall wellbeing.

Here are 8 ways companies can support employee wellbeing through investment in holistic wellness programming*:

  • Offer webinars on topics related to mental wellbeing – these presentations provide employees with information and discussion facilitated by a national board-certified health & wellness coach. Many wellness webinars include time for employee questions and interactions on the topic, offering the chance for them to be a little vulnerable if they choose, which can help fellow co-workers with similar challenges feel less alone.
  • Schedule live, interactive fitness & wellness classes – one of the benefits of live classes is the built-in connection employees have with instructors and co-workers. Workouts like HIIT, Strength & Conditioning and other types of exercise that really get the heart rate often help to boost feelings of wellbeing. Or, turn to mindful movement offerings like desk yoga, accessible yoga and Pilates. No matter the type of class, get the maximum reach by pairing live classes with a recording employees can view later.
  • Provide easy access to on-demand classes – many employees make use of wellness offerings they can engage with when it’s most convenient for them. Having an easily accessible collection of wellness practices, fitness classes, nutrition support, and webinars at their fingertips can help employees stay consistent.
  • Organize mindfulness talks or meditation & breathwork sessions – Mindfulness and meditation practices teach employees to be present and focused, while breathwork helps to build self-awareness – all strong components of mental wellbeing. Ongoing, weekly classes offer employees a regular touchpoint for their practice, while one-time sessions make a great addition to meetings and special events.
  • Offer Chair Massage at the office – if you have hybrid employees, or employees have fully transitioned back to the office, this is a fantastic service to offer. Pick a day when the majority of employees are scheduled to be on-site or schedule a massage therapist through multiple time blocks so employees can receive a massage when it’s most convenient for them. Massage is known to decrease anxiety, reduce pain, and enhance mood.
  • Get Cooking – Food brings us together. Live, interactive cooking classes are a fun and unique way to bring hybrid employees together, creating the kind of connection that boosts mental wellbeing. These classes can also be fun even if employees prefer to watch and learn from the instructor.
  • Suggest a disconnect from social media – invite employees to disconnect from their social feeds, even for a brief period, while continuing to stay informed through other reliable sources. Social media is shown to have negative effects on mental health. Your company could even set an example by taking a month off from its social media campaigns, allowing your marketing & communications team a respite.
  • Express Gratitude – let employees know they are appreciated. A little recognition can go a long way and help employees feel seen, and thus feel a bit more motivated in their work.

Acknowledgment and action around matters of mental health and wellbeing can go a long way toward having happier, healthier employees, while helping your company to thrive into the future. What steps will your company take toward these ends this month?

*In addition to holistic wellness programming that’s offered at work, employees should always be encouraged to make use of EAP programs to consult with trained and certified mental health professionals. While they can be supportive in many ways, wellness practices are not a substitution for traditional mental health treatment.

 

Urban Balance is the premier provider of comprehensive on-site corporate wellness services including massage in the Portland, Oregon metro area and offers virtual workplace wellness programming worldwide. We deliver livestream and on-demand classes, webinars, and special events to the workplace environment for happier employees and a healthier bottom line.

Browse our virtual wellness services catalog with offerings including yoga, Pilates, Tai Chi, Zumba, HIIT, Barre Sculpt, meditation, nutrition, learning opportunities, and more.

Discover the benefits of the Urban Balance on-demand video library, a workplace wellbeing solution with over 350+ holistic wellness classes. Includes membership options for companies and individuals.