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HYBRID WORK

Employee wellness (and why most employers have the wrong approach)

Employee wellness has never been more critical. In the world of hybrid work, mental and physical well-being goes beyond yoga rooms and coffee bars.

Wellness in the workplace has never been more critical, with the last two years, in particular, putting mental and physical well-being in the work environment firmly under the spotlight. The International Labor Organization explains that workplace wellbeing relates to all aspects of working life, from the quality and safety of the physical environment to how workers feel about their work and the working environment. Essentially, it’s fundamental to the smooth running of any organization and the attraction, retention, and development of a workforce. Still, many companies are getting it wrong.

There's too much stress in the workplace.

The American Psychological Association found that 59% of employees experienced negative impacts of work-related stress, including lack of motivation, low energy, and reduced productivity. As a result, companies are increasingly under pressure to have a strategic plan to improve their internal culture and workplace experience. Additionally, the impact of the pandemic has been a catalyst worldwide in transforming the workplace. While burnout and unmanaged stress have become everyday buzzwords, they are not something that should be taken lightly. In a report by Deloitte, Nearly 70 percent of employees reported that their organization isn’t doing enough to combat burnout in the workplace.

Traditionally an HR department would manage the ‘wellbeing’ of a company's employees - this would often be reactive rather than proactive. Fast forward to 2022, and we see ‘bring your pet to work days,’ yoga rooms, cooking classes, and more. Are these programs truly helping manage employee wellbeing? What are practical elements companies can do to remove stress?

How employees experience their environment matters.

As hybrid working is here to stay, companies must ensure that employees have a work environment that suits them, with an open communication line. 89% of HR leaders agree that ongoing peer feedback and check-ins are essential for successful outcomes. Managers need to change their approach to how they operate. One employee's needs may differ from another. As flexible working continues, companies must provide spaces that accommodate everyone’s tastes and working habits and help promote a healthy work-life balance.

While we often emphasize mental well-being, physical health is just as crucial for employee satisfaction. Research by the American College of Physicians found that of the 40 million U.S workers that suffer from back pain, 20% were told by a health professional that the pain was work-related. More often than not, this was from not having a suitable work environment. Many are learning the painful way that office space setup matters.

Hybrid work uncertainty causes burnout.

The employee experience goes beyond one's physical space. McKinsey & Company found that a lack of a hybrid work plan doubles employees' anxiety thereby leading to burnout. Without a clear vision communicated by leadership, less than one-third of employees feel confident about post-pandemic hybrid work. The ambiguity only exacerbates employees feeling drained and burned out.

Investments in employee wellness pay off.

There are a variety of benefits for both employees and employers in a correctly established approach to wellness:

Lower number of sick days and days of absence
Increased productivity
Stronger employee loyalty and less turnover
Higher employee engagement
Increase in sales

In the new hybrid world, prioritizing wellbeing presents unique challenges. As we approach the halfway point of 2022, companies must be honest about whether they are getting this right or whether it’s time to invest more seriously in employee wellbeing. Still, if organizations can get workplace well-being right - or at least make improvements - it can fundamentally impact the business’s health. Conversely, failure to see employee wellbeing as a top priority will quickly lead to burnout—individually and corporately—to the detriment of the business itself.

It's time for a new working approach blending well-being, community, and productivity.

Solving employee burnout may seem complicated, but there are simple solutions that can assist in eliminating unnecessary daily stress from the office. inspace creates frictionless, stress-free workplaces by making any office space bookable. With just one click, inspace users can find and book a workspace or meeting room from their smartphones.

This means no more confusion or annoyance caused by double-booked or unavailable spaces. By broadcasting who is in the office and where they are, inspace eliminates the time wasted searching for colleagues.

Having complete visibility of office attendance creates opportunities for better collaboration, community, and productivity. Removing these obstacles is fundamental to efforts to reduce employee burnout and improve wellness, productivity, and happiness.