Employee wellbeing is a necessity, not a luxury

To maintain the health and performance of their workers, employers need to rethink how they perceive and promote wellbeing across the organization. (Photo: Shutterstock)

Between the stress of the pandemic, social distancing from colleagues and friends, and forgoing daily, dependable routines, employees are feeling everything from untethered to overwhelmed. In fact, in a survey conducted by the National Institute for Health Care Management, a startling 51% of people reported worse mental health at work since COVID-19 started, creating an urgency for improved and expanded employee wellbeing initiatives.

To maintain the health and performance of their workers, employers need to rethink how they perceive and promote wellbeing across the organization. Whereas benefits like corporate-sponsored gym memberships and healthy lunches have been a draw in the past, companies also now need to invest in tools, practices, and programs that support their colleagues’ health and wellbeing. Especially as many organizations consider continuing remote work to varying degrees in the long term, implementing practices and programs that promote employee wellbeing no matter where individuals are located is no longer a nice-to-have, but a necessity for the modern workplace.