Why your Company Needs a Robust Wholistic Wellbeing Plan

You have no doubt heard about “The Big Quit”: the fact that so many workers have quit their jobs during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to Marketplace online, LinkedIn, the professional networking website launched in 2003, says “it has never seen people change their careers at this rate in its history. [...] Transitions are up more than 50% compared to last year.” Interestingly, women are changing their careers almost 10% more frequently than men.

The huge number of dissatisfied workers today says a lot about our society, the world of business, and ourselves, as we redefine our needs in a pandemic landscape. The numbers may also indicate that a true movement is at hand, similar to the Occupy Wall Street movement in the U.S., which sought to improve financial equity across society by pointing out the huge profits being made by top business vs the paltry sums earned by the average worker. Then there’s presenteeism, “when employees are physically present in the workplace but don’t do work due to fatigue or distraction.”

As a seeker of Wholistic Wellbeing striving for a fairer society, I believe a great place to begin rebalancing the work environment is by devising a concrete wellbeing plan for all employees. We need to address workers’ grievances in a wholistic and democratic way, which requires three things: analysis, support structures, and training. We need to first understand what the different grievances in the workplace are and who they tend to affect most. We then need to set up structures that give people the help they need, whether that’s a medical service or an app to track our mental health and stay on top of our professional and personal targets. And finally, we need to empower people to take charge of their own workplace wellbeing through training and courses to optimize performance, teamwork, productivity, and sensitivity towards others. 

Since the 1990s, particularly in progressive areas like San Francisco and Silicon Valley, in the U.S., businesses have worked to address stress and burnout by bringing massages to the workplace, fostering socialization with after-hours gatherings, fun lunches, and by adding a bit of playfulness and relaxation into team-building efforts during the week. These days, mindfulness trainers may even be brought onsite to add impact to big events, leading the workforce through at least a few initial levels of mindfulness training.

Not everyone is fortunate enough to have a CEO or president who believes that wellbeing programs can benefit their employees, as it doesn’t seem to directly impact the bottom line. But a healthy workforce and workplace actually do affect the numbers: energized, spirited, motivated, and healthy individuals help increase productivity!

In the healthcare insurance business in the U.S., a space that crunches numbers regarding the effects of good health on workers in general, incentives have long been put in place to help keep their employees physically fit, lose weight, and pay attention to their diets in general. What we need to do now is broaden this medical attention beyond the physical and start introducing programs and courses in the office focused on mental health, social wellbeing, and fostering a sense of community.

A business that promotes Wholistic Wellbeing is one that will thrive through its people. Wholistic Wellbeing encourages creativity, empathy, and diligence because it gives people the time to rest and enjoy a life outside of work, thereby optimizing their active working hours. For me, those are the three most important assets to a productive workforce. As a seeker of Wholistic Wellbeing, I believe my calling is to democratize wellbeing for all. To that end, join me in promoting a new approach to management that prioritizes Wholistic Wellbeing in the workplace. 

Cover image sourced from Shutterstock