The wave of resignations has been so rampant that many experts and pundits have dubbed it the "Great Resignation" and offered just about every possible answer to try and explain why, from low wages, to concerns about safety, to a lack of affordable childcare.

While all of these possible causes have merit, one of the biggest reasons is lack of employee well-being. What has become clear is that the measures we needed to take to navigate the pandemic – social distancing, masking up, working from home and taking on additional caretaking roles – took a huge toll on our well-being, especially on our mental health and emotional well-being.

Take for instance a recent study in the Journal of the American Medical Association, which found rates of depression for adults have tripled since before the pandemic. Another study, published in the Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, found that rates of drug and alcohol use, depression, anxiety and loneliness have skyrocketed, especially among young people. If that's not enough, the rates of burnout are through the roof, with 89 per cent of employees now reporting that their work-life has gotten worse, according to an article published by the Harvard Business Review.

Given these alarming statistics, it's not surprising that employees are quitting their jobs in droves. So, what can employers do about it? The answer lies in supporting employee well-being.

To be clear, another run-of-the-mill employee benefits programs will not suffice. Study after study shows that many of these benefits programs fall short. For example, the largest study on the impact of workplace wellness programs, published by RAND Health, found that 80% of eligible employees are opting out. Furthermore, the first large-scale, randomized clinical trial examining employee wellness programs in Illinois found little to no impact on health outcomes for employees who actually use their benefits and there was no significant reduction in health care spending or utilization of health care services.

So, what can employers do differently to actually make a difference in the well-being of their people, and at the same time help to retain their workforce?

1. Tune into what actually matters to their people.

In the time of the Great Resignation, the locus of power has shifted. Employees are in the driver's seat. They're calling the shots, and employers need to take note. Now more than ever, employees want their work to be meaningful. They are looking for more flexibility in their schedule and they are seeking a workplace that is more inclusive. They want to feel cared for and they want to matter. This means that in today's world, employers need to safeguard the well-being of every employee – as they define it.

2. Uncover the hidden factors.

The pandemic sparked a surge in requests I've received to "give people some tips to manage their stress." While well-intended, these self-care prescriptions may in fact make the issues worse as they ignore the deeper, root causes. Employee stress and burnout, studies show, are less about an individual's capacity to "manage their stress" and more about the workplace itself. For example, one of the biggest drivers of stress is a lack of autonomy, which is clearly more of a structural and management issue than it is an individual one.

A better way is for organizational leaders to begin by taking an honest look at their company culture, or "uncover the hidden factors." Does the company culture and way of doing business support well-being – or is it undermining it? What I see over and over again is a mismatch between the messaging of company wellness programs – "Prioritize your well-being. Step away from your desk! Take a yoga class!" – and the larger company culture that often dictates exactly the opposite. Therefore, rather than just doling out superficial fixes, organizational leaders would be wise to go deeper.

3. Assess Wellness Privilege.

As part of this culture deep dive, business leaders need to recognize the intersection between well-being and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). This means acknowledging the role of Wellness Privilege, a term that I devised in partnership with DEI expert Karen Catlin. Simply defined, Wellness Privilege is an unearned benefit or advantage enjoyed by some – and not by others – that makes the pursuit of well-being easier.

To help people understand their Wellness Privilege, we developed 50 Ways You Might Have Wellness Privilege at Work Checklist, an assessment tool that lists 50 ways that you might have – or might not have – privilege at work that supports well-being. This first-of-its-kind assessment tool takes a holistic and comprehensive view of those key items that enable well-being and living one's best life. It is organized around six key areas, as identified by a Gallup-Healthways survey that spanned over 150 countries: physical, emotional, social, financial, career and community.

Here are just a few questions to consider in this vein. Does your workplace support taking time off to rest and recover such as paid sick days? Does your boss control how you manage your time at work? Can you observe your religious holidays and traditions without having to use vacation time? Are you asked to do menial tasks that colleagues of another gender or race aren't asked to do? Do you have opportunities to grow in your career? Do you get equal airtime in conversations and meetings?

4. Design nudges and cues.

What Wellness Privilege audits can highlight is just how much the pursuit of well-being needs to be a collective one, as opposed to just an individual one. Perhaps best summed up by Professor Sir Michael Marmot, Director of the University College London Institute of Health Equity, "It is unreasonable to expect people to change their behavior when the social, cultural and physical environments around them fully conspire against them." Precisely.

Therefore, rather than continuing to parrot the overused "take personal responsibility for your health and well-being" mantra, organizational leaders need to pursue a more "outside-in" approach. They need to seek ways to optimize the environment and the culture to infuse well-being and vitality into the organizational fabric. One way that they can do this is by deploying environmental "nudges" and cultural "cues." Nudges, such as offering healthy snacks at meetings or establishing a safe walking path around the office, can make it easier for employees to adopt healthier habits. Cues can help to normalize well-being at work. These can occur through walking meetings or starting meetings with well-being enhancers such as expressing gratitude.

5. Activate managers.

Employers need to better prioritize well-being at work – not just as one-off, but as a way of life. This is where managers come into the conversation. Managers are perhaps every organization's greatest asset in integrating well-being into the fabric of business as usual. The manager alone likely accounts for up to 70% of their team members' engagement with both their work and their well-being – according to Gallup and according to ADP Research Institute.

Our own published data shows that in organizations where managers are taking a lead in modeling and actively supporting well-being for their team members, both managers and their team members report higher levels of engagement with their work, overall well-being, and productivity. A manager-driven movement of well-being can make a huge difference for the well-being of the workforce, especially during this time of uncertainty.

Case in point: I led all of the company leaders and managers at Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota through Motion Infusion's 'Managers on the Move' training program, a unique "leadership meets wellness" leadership development series that empowers managers to become explicit advocates for well-being. The difference has been dramatic. Over the period of 2020 to 2021, employees and managers reported an increase in overall well-being (up 24% for employees and up 36% for managers) – even in the midst of the pandemic.

The time is now for business and HR leaders to step up to meet the moment. The good news is that in following these five steps, employers can indeed make a difference. Employees are voting with their feet. They're making it loud and clear that their well-being actually matters. Now it's up to employers to decide whether or not they'll listen.

Read more:

• New study finds gap between wellness needs of employees and what employers offer
• Wellness industry's bottom line doing better than employees
• Is workplace wellness worth the effort?