A new report from PwC says that well-being efforts can have positive effects for businesses, in part by empowering employees to become more productive and loyal.

The study focused on "well-being" rather than the common concept of "wellness;" emphasizing mental health and stress management for workers rather than physical health, although physical health also is a factor in this approach. In a statement about the report, Michael Fenlon, chief people officer for PWC, said his company was moving beyond rhetoric about the well-being of employees to finding concrete ways to support workers in jobs that are evolving due to social changes and advances in technology.

"At PwC, we're learning about how we can better support well-being and flexibility from our "Be well, work well" initiative," he said. "As the design of jobs and work is evolving through automation and better use of data, we have an opportunity to reimagine the workplace experience in the post-industrial, digital innovation economy. That means paying attention to how we can renew our mental, physical, emotional and spiritual/purpose-driven sources of energy."

Connecting well-being to performance

The study said there are definite links between workplace performance and a commitment to well-being. Key findings of the PWC report included:

A commitment to healthy behaviors is more important than choosing "the right" habits. Each habit studied had a positive impact on one or more measures of well-being. Specific behaviors weren't as important as engaging in habits that were personally meaningful to participants.
Inclusive leadership and teamwork enable well-being to thrive. Work environments must be aligned with healthy behaviors for well-being to flourish. Specific factors such as inclusion, positive team dynamics, and leadership/manager support have a direct, positive result on employee well-being.
Corporate priority + healthy habits = business benefits. Well-being and flexibility impact business outcomes such as staff's intention to stay with the firm and attitudes about teamwork.
Technology boosts well-being. The use of well-being technology (such as tracking devices and wearable devices) improves participants' perceptions of team effectiveness and client relationships.

PwC's strategy for improving well-being

The report concluded with a discussion of how PwC is improving well-being for its employees. "We live in a global, networked, 'always on, always connected,' 24-7 environment—one where demand often exceeds capacity," Fenlon said. "It's easy to talk about the importance of well-being—but how do we move from rhetoric to a shift in mindset and new ways of working in the face of real-world demands?"

The PwC approach emphasizes interaction with workers and "citizen-led empowerment," officials said. The company supports flexibility in work arrangements and career paths. Education is another focus of this approach, using a variety of tools and channels. PwC notes it uses a formal platform for people to share ideas and success stories. The company also encourages a team approach to well-being efforts, which it said builds trust, collaboration and accountability.

The report concludes by noting that well-being takes more than a superficial commitment. "Well-being is change that we believe in. It is for our people, but it is also by our people," the report said. "That shift — from well-being as a "corporate initiative" to well-being as a cultural norm — along with new ways of working is key to greater adoption and results across the firm."

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PwC report on well-being emphasizes a ground-up approach

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