Why employee wellbeing is really about organizational health

When it comes to employee wellbeing, many companies take an individual-level approach to what needs to be an organization-wide initiative. For example, a company can cover the cost of a mindfulness app or address financial health by giving access to financial planners. 

But what are they doing to address the core of those challenges within their own organizations? 

Are they addressing issues that affect wellbeing or put people's psychological safety at risk like addressing harassment, microaggressions, misogyny and racism in the workplace? 

Are they consistently carrying out compensation and equity audits or analyzing who is getting promotions? 

My guess is that most people would take routine pay audits and folks being held accountable for bad behavior over an app subscription. Or maybe people want both - the individual level support that is backed by organization-wide accountability. 

That’s what this article is about. This is an expansion on our Pyn, Strategies for strengthening your wellbeing, that is meant to be sent directly to employees through Pyn’s employee communication platform.  

What is employee wellbeing? 

Employee wellbeing is a holistic concept that takes into account the physical, mental, emotional, and social health of your employees. Things that happen at work, and in employee’s personal lives, influence their wellbeing at work. 

You can understand and measure employee wellbeing through conversations with employees, or at a broader scale through wellbeing surveys. In Culture Amp’s 2021 wellbeing survey benchmark, with 2,000 participating organizations, ​​80% of employees feel an overall sense of work wellbeing, but employees are stressed and don’t wake up feeling fresh and rested for work. 

Wellbeing can change day-to-day or over longer periods of time for employees. To strengthen employee wellbeing, here are organization-wide initiatives and individualized support your company can provide. 

Physical

Physical wellbeing is typically affected by factors like movement, diet, and the environment One of the primary ways organizations can support employee's physical health by providing adequate health care benefits. They can also support physical wellbeing by ensuring that employees have flexibility in their schedules to take an exercise class, or simply take a break from their screens. Providing stipends for ergonomic evaluations and equipment like standing desks, external monitors, etc. for employees that work from home is also supportive of employee’s physical wellbeing. 

Ensuring that employees are fully unplugged when they are on sick leave is an important organization-wide initiative. This means that managers don’t expect responses from employees who are on sick leave, and your company offers paid time off for employees who are recovering from illness. 

Here’s how employees can look after their physical health: 

• Schedule time for movement. Sitting for extended periods can lead to negative health effects. Schedule breaks throughout the day to move your body in whatever ways are available to you.
• Eat lunch away from the screen. Allow yourself a break from your desk and computer. This will help your digestion and give you the opportunity to create some time for movement or connection.
• Rest when you’re sick. Sickness is your body’s way of signaling that you need rest. Ignoring these signals can lead to more serious or prolonged illness. So take the time you need to rest and recover.

Mental

Mental wellbeing is about being mindful of where and how you spend your energy. Organizations should provide access to mental health services, since health care benefits do not always include this access, or the access they do provide is rather scant. Supporting the right work-life balance, especially for employees at high-growth and/or remote companies is also important. Again, flexibility in work schedules allows employees to work at times that are best for their mental wellbeing, and make time for other important life events. This is important because not all employees have the same energy levels (e.g., those with chronic illness or disability). 

Your company should set expectations that setting boundaries for work is not only okay, it’s expected. You can decide the norm around this practice (be it Slack status, Google calendar blocks, email auto-responders) whatever works for your organization. 

Here’s how employees can maintain their mental wellbeing:

• Track your energy input and output. Strike a balance between things that drain your energy and things that give you energy. For example, if you come out of an exhausting, hour-long brainstorm, take the next hour to engage in an activity to help you recover. 
• Plan vacations. Plan time off in advance. This gives you something to look forward to and allows you to prepare for your vacation accordingly. Make sure to fully unplug when you’re away from the office!
• Set boundaries. Boundaries are essential to protect your mental health. Whether it be creating blocks in your calendar, setting your work hours in your calendar, or turning on a Do Not Disturb status, it's best to clearly communicate your boundaries to others.

Emotional

Emotional and mental wellbeing have many overlapping areas. But emotional wellbeing is generally more about how people respond to change and challenges. Training your managers to be good coaches who can communicate with empathy is an ideal way to support the emotional wellbeing of employees. Also, supporting your manager’s wellbeing so they can be there for their teams is important. Managers are often the “front lines” when a change or challenge happens in the workplace. During the initial wave of the pandemic, managers were asked to go above and beyond what they’d experienced before. 

Here are a few ways employees can tend to their emotional wellbeing:  

• Be mindful. Get in tune with your reaction to stress. Does your chest tighten? Do your palms sweat? Recognizing your response to stressors can help you better manage your emotions through techniques like meditation or breathwork. 
• Change your narrative. If you find yourself engaging in constant negative self-talk, it’s time to reframe. For instance, rather than viewing a project as stressful, you can view it as an opportunity to demonstrate your skills. This type of exercise shifts your thought patterns and helps you build resilience.
• Practice compassion. Be kind, especially to yourself. As self-compassion expert, Dr. Kristin Neff, says: “When we trust ourselves to be understanding and compassionate when we fail, we won’t cause ourselves unnecessary stress or anxiety. We can relax knowing that we’ll be accepted regardless of how well or how poorly we do.” 

Social

People enjoy a sense of belonging and connection with others when their social wellbeing is met. Being “social” looks different for different folks, meaning happy hours (virtual or not) is unlikely to be the solution. Game days, sponsored sports teams, affinity groups, volunteering groups, Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) Slack channels based on hobbies/interests, etc., are all ways that companies could support employees socially.

People have social networks at work and outside of work, so here’s that flexibility component again. Support employees in making time to connect with their social networks outside of work. You can also make time for socialization at work, even if you’re remote. Virtual coffee hang outs or company-wide game days are ideal for bringing people together, as long as you ensure that participation is equitable across geographies, roles and more. 

Here’s how employees can cultivate a sense of social wellbeing: 

• Lean into your network. When you’re feeling stressed, anxious, or depleted, be vulnerable and lean on the people in your network—whether it’s your friends, family, or colleagues. They want to be there for you. 
• Connect in ways that fill your cup. Not everyone wants to socialize in the same way. Some may find happy hours and team outings fulfilling, while others may find these events draining. Figure out what fills your cup and focus on those social activities.
• Practice gratitude. Actively demonstrating gratitude for the people in our lives can strengthen our relationships. Thank the colleagues who make work enjoyable or tell a friend how much you appreciate them.