Is Wellness a Priority in Your Workplace?

It seems as though the pandemic has forced us all, especially as HR professionals, to reexamine our perceptions of personal and professional wellness. The connection between our wellness and our work is dynamic and ever-changing. But the fact remains, we tend to do our best work when we feel our best - benefiting both the employee and the employer.

In the Psychology Today article, “Prioritizing Employee Wellness”, assistant professor at the School of Human Resources Management at York University, Canada, Duygu Bircik Gulseren Ph.D explains why wellness programs remain an asset to the workplace and suggests enhancements that can be made to your organization’s wellness program.

 Gulseren (2022) noted two categories of wellness program, stress management programs which “strive to educate employees about the damages of stress and teach them coping strategies and self-care” practices; and lifestyle programs which “aim to change the behaviors of employees to live healthier and more adaptive lifestyles.” In other words, wellness programs that focus on mental health and those that focus on healthy living behaviors/habits.

Make it Make Sense

Wellness strategies need to align with the organization’s overall strategy.  What is your organization trying to accomplish? How does wellness fit into the picture? If employees feel a connection to this mission, they may be more willing to participate. To this point, Gulseren (2022) also notes the importance of helping employees use the wellness programs. Consider what you are trying to achieve with your wellness program, are employees supported to achieve those objectives? It is important to remember employees must balance participation with work demands, so be sure changes to programs “align with employees and their desire to change” (Gulseren, 2022). This may be the first place to start for many employers – shifting their work dynamic to support wellness programs and give employees a reason to participate.  It’s about their health after all!

Management Buy-In

A wellness program cannot operate independently from senior management, and employee buy-in is most achievable if management leads by example.  I think this shows employees management is interested in them, and their health, not just the work they do. I don’t think employees should not be left to make their own interpretations as to the intent of their organization’s wellness program.

Variety is Key

There tends to be a lot of “grey” in what we do as HR professionals, and implementing a wellness program is no different. Not every initiative will appeal to every employee, due to factors within and outside their control, and the control of the organization. But what we can do is try to make our wellness programs as inclusive as possible benefiting the most employees. Gulseren (2022) puts the ball back in the court of leadership, deeming it their responsibility to understand what obstacles employees may face, and provide alternatives to increase participation.

You can check out Dr. Gulseren’s article here. Leave a comment below on your suggestions to increase wellness program participation? Does the importance of wellness programs depend on the job?