Workplace wellness is generating a lot of internet buzz and discussion these days. Everyone seems to have an opinion on what sector of wellness businesses should focus on. Targeted solutions like mental health services are great but they do more to treat the symptoms than cure the underlying condition.
Enter the concept of holistic, or sometimes “wholistic,” wellness. Holistic wellness believes that the best way to support someone is to support all of their needs, rather than targeting one or two specific areas. Holistic wellness aims to address all nine pillars of a person’s wellness, from their physical and mental needs to their financial and environmental ones.
It might sound like a lot of extra work, but taking care of your employees is more than worth it. Here are just a few reasons why.
1. Employees Have Unique Needs That Require Unique Supports
If your company has 20 employees and you asked each of them how to best support them, you’d likely get 20 different answers. Everyone comes from unique backgrounds and, as a result, has different struggles and needs. We’re all different, and that’s what makes us stronger as a group. But it can also make building an inclusive company culture overwhelming.
Rather than overwhelming yourself by trying to accommodate for every possible situation, design your company wellness solutions to meet employees where they are. Ask them what they need—they’ll know better than anyone, after all—and start there.
2. Employees Who Feel Safe at Work Perform Better
If you want to improve employee performance at work, you have to support them. When a worker is tired and stressed, they’re not going to be working at their peak. In fact, burnt-out employees are more likely to call off sick, miss meetings and deadlines, and even flat-out leave their jobs. On the other hand, employees who are set up to thrive are more creative, collaborate better, and get more done in less time.
It’s hard to be at your best when you don’t feel secure at work. If you feel like you can’t trust your coworkers or managers, you won’t want to rock the boat and will make yourself as invisible as you can. If you aren’t getting enough to eat because you can’t afford food, you’ll struggle to stay focused on anything but how hungry you are. Healthy, happy, and safe employees thrive. And when the employees thrive, the business thrives.
3. Employee Wellness Is Just Good Business Sense
If you have a machine full of malfunctioning parts, it’s simply not going to run efficiently. It’ll break down more often and require costly repairs and replacement parts. And sometimes it’ll break beyond repair.
The concept is similar in a business context. If your employees can’t function at their best, they won’t be able to produce as much or as quickly. Their immune system will be compromised by stress, so they’ll need more sick days. Tired employees are less creative and less likely to innovate. And, as we said earlier, they’re more likely to quit.
All of those things can be costly. Increased insurance costs, increased recruitment costs, and losses from missed deadlines add up quickly. So, what’s worth it? Saving money on wellness programs while hemorrhaging funds elsewhere, or investing in your employees now to increase the quality of your product or service and save money in the long run?
Supporting Your Employees Is Supporting Your Company
A business is nothing without its workers. Making sure they have what they need to perform at their best should be priority number one on every business plan. The COVID-19 pandemic has really driven this lesson home for companies all around the world and industry leaders are beginning to shift their focus from profits to people. We hope to see this trend continue.
What are your favorite employee wellness support programs? Share them with us in the comments or on social media!
