Business Insider: The ROI of worker well-being
By Rebecca Knight
With a new generation of workers bringing fresh sensibilities and an increasing desire for work-life balance and mental-health support, organizations across the US are scaling up employee well-being programs to meet the demands of the post-pandemic era.
Companies spent $51 billion on employee wellness in 2020, a figure that's projected to rise to $100 billion a decade from now, according to a report last year by Wellable, a corporate healthcare platform. Initiatives range from health plans and perks to employee-resource programs and digital tools. All share a common goal: fostering a healthier, happier, and more productive workforce.
"When employees feel they're being invested in and supported, they're more likely to experience greater job satisfaction and an improved sense of well-being," Charlie Tharpe, a professor at Boston University's Questrom School of Business, said.
Tharpe added that employees who feel supported are likely to put more effort into their work, so "companies with a healthy and engaged workforce can reap substantial benefits."
Children's Mercy Kansas City, a pediatric-health facility in Missouri, also made mental health and well-being initiatives a priority for its staff following the pandemic. This focus was crucial in addressing burnout and retaining talent, particularly amid staffing shortages that caused operational challenges, Dr. Stephanie Burrus, the organization's chief well-being officer, said.
"Working in healthcare is hard," she said. "Our staff face heart-wrenching realities every day: life-and-death situations and cases of abuse and neglect. Those experiences are hard to step away from."
Earlier this year, the hospital started a peer-to-peer counseling support system to augment its in-house one-to-one and group counseling services. It also partnered with Pause with Paws, a program where staff members can interact with therapy dogs for stress relief during their workdays.
"Our goal is to provide consistent, standardized support for our staff during distressing events," Burrus said. "This helps them feel seen and it normalizes the idea that it's OK to not be OK."
Read the full article via Business Insider