Well-Being Trends Archives - WebMD Health Services https://www.webmdhealthservices.com/blog/category/well-being-trends/ Employee Well-Being Programs Thu, 06 Mar 2025 22:27:44 +0000 en-US hourly 1 2025 Workplace Wellness Trends You Need To Know https://www.webmdhealthservices.com/blog/workplace-wellness-trends-you-need-to-know/ Tue, 14 Jan 2025 09:00:00 +0000 https://www.webmdhealthservices.com/?p=14697 It’s that time of year when we compile our annual list of workplace wellness trends to watch for in the coming year that could have an influence over your corporate well-being strategy. In 2025, we’ll see employers focus on employee burnout, expand their support for women’s health across all stages of life, strategically leverage AI to enhance well-being connection points, and look to leadership to set the well-being example for the entire organization. Read on for details…

2024 was another challenging year for the workplace, resulting in the lowest levels of employee engagement we’ve seen in over a decade. Employers recognize that this unsettled environment is taking a toll on employees and now see well-being as an integral part of their workforce strategy.1 In 2025, we’ll see employers remain committed to their investments in workplace wellness. Let’s explore a few areas where we predict employers will focus their efforts.

Trend #1: Burnout is real.

WebMD’s Center for Research conducted a study and found a third of all employees are experiencing persistent burnout. Employee perceptions of burnout also increased by over 25% from 2022 to 2024. Our research found increased levels of burnout among members of Gen X, senior managers and director level employees, and those working onsite versus more flexible work arrangements (e.g., hybrid).2

We defined burnout based on four primary dimensions: feeling emotionally drained, feeling negative about work, feeling unable to have an impact and feeling overwhelmed with workload. It’s not the day-to-day, short-term stress or pressures we might occasionally feel, but rather is something that is chronic, intense and unrelenting.

We know that individuals who experience burnout have higher absenteeism, decreased productivity, an impaired quality of work, and are more likely to be looking for a new job. Unfortunately, most employees say they don’t think their company is doing enough to prevent and improve burnout. To really move the needle on burnout, attention needs to be paid to both the employee-centered factors and to organizational-level factors.

So how will employers respond? We expect them to:

  • Work to understand how burnout shows up within their organization and the driving forces around why it’s happening.
  • Examine the work environment, workload, and managers’ expectations; create clarity around what is expected for the individual and their work.
  • Dig into leadership strategy to understand the important role leaders play in setting the tone for how work gets done (see also Trend #4).
  • Pay attention to employee voice, focusing on culture and fostering community through a holistic listening strategy so employees feel heard, seen and valued.

Trend #2: Benefits to support women’s well-being across their lifespan.

With five generations of women now in the workforce, there is a wider range of women’s health care needs employers must consider when developing their workplace well-being and benefits strategy—from the childbearing years to menopause and beyond.

Most organizations support the childbearing years well, but until recently we’ve not seen the same level of support for menopause and caregiving benefits. Over two million women enter menopause each year in the U.S.3 By 2030, the world population of menopausal and postmenopausal women is projected to increase to 1.2 billion, with 47 million new entrants each year.4 Women going through menopause are the fastest growing demographic in the workforce, and it’s estimated that 85% of women experience menopause symptoms at work5, impacting their overall productivity. Health care spending for women is also 21% higher than for men. So, with this as a backdrop, we’ll see employers:

  • Continue to support women with preventive care, pre-conception planning, fertility benefits, and post-pregnancy support.
  • Add new benefits to support the menopausal years, which might include access to Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT), flexible work arrangements, and workplace accommodations.
  • Raise awareness of menopause as a business issue, begin to normalize conversations about menopause and aging, and train managers to be supportive.
  • Offer holistic caregiving support that includes resources for childcare and elder care, parental leave for new mothers and fathers, and family caregiver leave.
  • Listen to what employees are asking for when it comes to the full spectrum of women’s health care needs.

Want to learn more about how to support menopause in the workplace? Check out our E-book: The Importance of Being a Menopause Friendly Workplace.

Trend #3: AI may be a potential catalyst for change in employee well-being.

We included AI in our trends list for 2024 and it’s obvious that this will be an ongoing topic of interest. As we look to 2025, we recognize the potential for AI to enable transformative innovations in the field of workplace well-being. Like last year, there’s still caution and reservation around applications of AI, especially when it comes to privacy, inappropriate use of data, and bias—and employers will need to overcome employees’ potential mistrust of AI. While we don’t expect organizations to use AI to replace the more clinical aspects of well-being, we do expect it to support the operational and the administrative aspects of their strategies, including:

  • Optimizing the well-being experience using data analytics and aggregation to support personalized solutions and enable targeted communications;
  • Helping with benefits administration and increasing benefits awareness; and
  • Working closely with vendors to understand how and where AI is being used in their solutions.6

Trend #4: The role of leadership in fostering a culture of well-being.

Leaders have a profound impact on the success of employee well-being in any organization. When leaders prioritize well-being, it signals to employees that their health and happiness matters. This is critical because employees who feel their employer cares about their overall well-being are three times more likely to be engaged at work, less likely to report experiencing burnout, and more likely to be thriving in their overall lives.7 They’re also less likely to actively search for a new job, and five times more likely to strongly advocate for their company as a great place to work.8 What are the actions we’ll see to equip leaders with the skills to support employee well-being in 2025?

  • Encourage open dialogue and communicate the importance of well-being to the entire organization.
  • Create safe feedback loops for employees to share their opinions with leaders (employee listening).
  • Include well-being in leadership training.
  • Model the healthy behaviors they want their employees to practice and recognize leaders who prioritize well-being.
  • Introduce accountability for well-being outcomes in performance plans.

Moving Forward

2025 holds a wealth of opportunities for organizations to elevate their corporate well-being strategies and create workplaces that prioritize and nurture the health and happiness of their employees. By embracing these workplace wellness trends, organizations can chart a path forward where well-being isn’t just a buzzword, but a fundamental pillar of organizational success.

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Rise of the Chief Wellness Officer https://www.webmdhealthservices.com/blog/trend-watch-rise-of-the-chief-wellness-officer/ Wed, 24 Apr 2024 08:00:00 +0000 https://www.webmdhealthservices.com/?p=10997 As more companies recognize the strategic value of employee health and well-being, many now have a C-suit member focused solely on employee well-being: the Chief Wellness Officer (CWO). This blog digs into what this role is, who’s on the forefront, and how organizations might benefit from having one. Read on for details…

What is a Chief Well-Being Officer?

Chief Well-being or Wellness Officers (CWOs) work with the C-suite, managers, and employees to create and maintain a culture that puts employee well-being at its center. They seek to integrate the mental/emotional, social, physical, professional and even financial well-being of employees into the larger business strategy.1 A typical CWO job description requires training and qualifications in Human Resources, well-being, and/or employee engagement.

In practice, a CWO works hand in hand with HR and senior executives to evaluate and influence all programs that touch employees, including health and welfare benefits; mental health support; career progression; leadership development and mentoring; inclusion and diversity; work-life integration; and employee engagement and belonging.

The CWO role is most prominent in the health care industry where it helps to combat clinician burnout and maintain employee well-being. Stanford Medicine was the first large health care organization to implement such a role in 2017, and over the next three years about 20 academic health care organizations followed suit.2 With rising burnout and quit rates, this role has become even more important in the health care industry.

Why is the CWO role gaining traction? And how could it benefit organizations?

Now we’re seeing the CWO role expand to organizations beyond health care, and it’s not a huge surprise. Employers have become acutely aware of the importance of taking care of their team and the strong link between employee well-being and job performance, engagement, and retention—all of which impact business results. This also comes at a time when well-being programs have evolved beyond helping people with just physical health.

The CWO position shines a clear spotlight on employees and backs up an organization’s corporate value proposition to care for people. And, we know that when people feel supported, like they belong, and that their employer cares about them as a person, productivity and engagement increase. People are more creative, willing to take risks (which often leads to more innovation and stronger results) and have higher levels of psychological safety when they feel connected and engaged at work. So, having a dedicated well-being senior leader is a real game-changer — influencing everything from diversity, recruitment efforts, candidate flow, employee retention, and ultimately business results.

Which kinds of organizations have committed to a CWO role?

According to Chris Rollins, a leadership coach who works with HR leaders, the trend of the CWO role is limited at this point, but one that is likely to increase. Rollins says, “There are not a ton of chief wellness officers yet, especially at smaller companies. But the trend [of chief wellness officers] is certainly bubbling up.”3

In addition to numerous health care organizations, our research turned up three consulting companies and many universities who have made the CWO role a priority as a way of improving wellness in the workplace:

  • First appointed in 2015, Deloitte’s CWO drives strategy and innovation around work-life, health, and wellness to empower people to be well so they can perform at their best in both their professional and personal lives.4 According to their CWO, this is critical because “if we don’t support employee well-being, we are sub-optimizing people’s potential. As a professional services organization, we are solving complex problems that require our people to show up as their best selves.” She also relates that being in the C-suite makes a statement that the firm takes this issue seriously.5
  • EY named a CWO in November 2021 as they were formulating their return-to-office strategy. At that time, the firm also created a dedicated team to focus on all aspects of employee well-being. Their CWO states: “You have to view wellbeing as a business imperative, it’s not a nice-to-do…It’s actually imperative for businesses to be focused on this right now.”6
  • Aon created a CWO position in 2022 in response to the toll the pandemic had taken on employee well-being. Their goals were addressing “all aspects of wellbeing for Aon’s 50,000 employees and helping the firm’s employer clients build wellbeing programs that tend to evolving employee needs.”7 Aon uses a data-driven strategy to measure how employees are doing and feeling emotionally and then point them to the best source of help.
  • The University of Tennessee (UT) System, in February 2024, appointed their first Chief Wellness Officer to enhance mental health and well-being initiatives for students, faculty, and employees across all campuses within the UT System.
  • In March 2024, to foster a culture of mental health and well-being, Dartmouth College employed their inaugural Chief Wellness Officer. The role aims to bring together various services and departments, as well as enhance the visibility of healthy habits.

Our research has just touched the surface, but it’s clear only organizations who have the resources and financial capacity to dedicate a senior role to well-being are appointing CWOs. Most small- to mid-size companies will continue to roll corporate well-being efforts into HR/benefits or a well-being committee.

Closing thoughts on the Chief Wellness Officer role

I’m curious to see how this role evolves and how it might exist alongside the somewhat overlapping functions of HR, benefits, change management, and culture work. It will certainly be key for organizations who do create this role to ensure a focused, harmonized approach and singular message to employees about well-being.

So, while the rise of the Chief Wellness Officer continues to evolve, I take it as yet another positive sign that organizations are getting serious about well-being and improving culture in the workplace—and the benefits that come from valuing each person’s unique needs and supporting them in all aspects of their lives. And, it goes without saying, having a CWO role is a strong signal to current and future employees that well-being is an organizational priority.

For guidance on making well-being a priority for your employees, visit our website or contact us at connect@webmd.net.

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2024 Employee Well-Being Trends https://www.webmdhealthservices.com/blog/2024-well-being-trends/ Fri, 08 Dec 2023 09:00:53 +0000 https://www.webmdhealthservices.com/?p=11595 In the past few years, the world of work has seen unprecedented change. There is rich discussion about employees’ ability to manage the dual demands of work and life and the role of the employer in this space. We are talking about the impact of managers and organizational culture on our well-being, as well as the role that the workplace plays in fostering belonging and social connections. In short, there has been a more universal acknowledgement among employers and employees that the workplace has a profound impact on all aspects of our well-being, full stop.

It is clear that employers are in a position of influence here and that workforce well-being and culture have emerged as the essentials to drive business value. Over the next year employers will be asking the tough questions, like:

  • How do we make work and the workplace better?
  • What adjustments to workplace culture and the employee experience do we need to make retain employees, engage employees, and be successful?
  • As an employer, how can we best enable our employees to navigate ongoing struggles that affect their holistic well-being?
  • How can we best harness the power of new technology in ways that enhance well-being, rather than detract from it?

Of course, all of this is taking place against an extraordinarily tense backdrop of economic, environmental, and geopolitical uncertainty that creates higher stress and financial strain on our employees, solidifying what we’ve known for many years: employees need holistic well-being that encompasses more than just their physical health.

There is no going back now. Employees increasingly want employers to support them with their well-being. They’re looking to employers to help them solve the caregiving crisis, to assist with health concerns like obesity and provide equal support for menopause, and to allow for better work/life integration. Technology (AI) is being evaluated for the role it will play in bringing some of these solutions to employees.

We’re rounding up the discussion of all of these issues with our annual well-being trend analysis. Let’s dive in to our first trend for 2024.

A wake-up call for employers.

Focusing on employee well-being isn’t just a nice-to-do, but a must-do. However, the last several years have convinced a critical mass of employers that well-being is inextricably linked to the engagement and productivity of the workforce and, consequently, the bottom line.

Employees themselves deserve much of the credit for pushing employers to think differently. The pandemic enabled workers to more openly question the traditional practice of treating the employee who logs off at 5PM as separate from the human being at home. They began to demand to be treated as a whole person and to insist that their overall well-being was something employers should care deeply about. And, as the Great Resignation proved, employees were willing to walk away from employers who didn’t respond to these expectations.

This is not to say that employers never cared about worker well-being. Many did. The difference is that they sometimes treated employee engagement and employee well-being as two different things, often looked at in isolation (think an engagement survey and a well-being survey). Yet what we know—and what Gallup noted in a study way back in 2015—is that workers with high well-being also tend to be highly engaged.1 They’re less likely to miss work because of poor health, less likely to change employers, and more likely to report “excellent” performance in their role at work.2

Moving from simply offering employee well-being initiatives to integrating with workforce strategy.

So, it stands to reason that organizations that focus on improving the well-being of employees will likely achieve higher engagement. But are employers increasing their commitment to employee well-being? The data suggests that they are.

  • Aon’s 2022-2023 Global Well-being Survey found that 87 percent of organizations have at least one well-being initiative, and 83 percent have an actual well-being strategy, an increase of more than 25 percentage points since 2020.3
  • Mercer’s recent study found that 64% of employers plan to enhance health and well-being offerings in 2024.4

We’re also seeing signs that well-being is now viewed as a key part of workforce strategy, not a separate endeavor. Fidelity and Business Group on Health’s 2023 Health and Well-Being Survey found that in 2021, 42% of employers viewed their health and well-being strategy as an integral part of their workforce strategy. In 2023 that figure jumped to 66%, an increase of over 57%.5

Just as importantly, we are also seeing employers link well-being to broader business objectives. For example, the Aon study found that more than 80% of organizations are integrating well-being into their Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I); Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG); Health and Safety; and Total Rewards programs.

What the reevaluation of work itself means for well-being.

Yet another shift is the reexamining of all aspects of the workplace that contribute to or detract from employee well-being. Workers are questioning long-held norms around work itself. Why should we prioritize work above all else? Who said we need to be available for work requests on nights and weekends? Why can’t work fit into life—instead of the other way around?

This shift has been fueled in part by younger generations who aren’t blanketly accepting that one should be defined by what they do for a living. They are setting boundaries around their work and their life. They want to feel connected to the organization’s mission and vision and to feel a part of something bigger than themselves.

And workers in general want workplaces to acknowledge that work plays a critical role in our mental well-being. A global study from the Workforce Institute at UKG found say their job is the biggest factor influencing their mental health. That same study found that managers have a greater impact on our mental health than doctors and therapists, and equal to that of spouses and partners.6

Employers will begin to expand the scope of what drives employee well-being.

Most organizations have recognized the link between employee engagement and well-being. But if employers don’t take that critical next step of examining work culture to uncover the underlying root causes that contribute to so much worker stress, burnout and poor mental health, it will be difficult to move the needle closer to a true culture of well-being.

We’ll see employers begin to address issues that we haven’t traditionally associated with well-being, but contribute mightily to it, including:

  • A lack of trust between employees and the employer
  • Norms around expected working hours and unrealistic workloads
  • Social determinants of health
  • Poor work/life balance
  • Mismatch between skills and job requirements
  • Lack of a sense of purpose/feeling disconnected from the organization’s mission/vision
  • Poor managers
  • Lack of recognition
  • An environment that is not psychologically safe
  • A lack of social connections or belonging at work

We’ll see an effort to focus on the things that employees need to feel valued, supported and engaged across all aspects of their well-being, including physical, emotional, and social connectedness. Enlightened employers in 2024 will focus on the elements of work that will help employees thrive, like these five factors identified by employees in a Mercer Global Talent Trends 2022-2023 study:7

  • Feeling valued for my contributions;
  • Work that fulfills me;
  • Having fun at work;
  • A sense of belonging; and
  • Having a manager who advocates for me and provides meaningful feedback.

Trend 2: Obesity management, menopause and healthy aging are evolving priorities to support the holistic well-being of employees at work.

The objective of many programs with an employee well-being strategy is to keep employees healthy while reducing health care cost spend. But we know we can’t achieve that if we maintain a status quo approach. As new treatments, research, and trends come to the forefront, it’s our job to evaluate and re-evaluate solutions in order to recommend the right program expansions. For 2024, we’re looking at three new priorities around three long-standing challenges to support holistic employee well-being: obesity management, menopause and healthy aging.

Obesity management.

Obesity continues to be a major health concern in the United States:

  • According to the CDC, 42% of U.S. adults are obese.8
  • By 2030, it is estimated that 1 in 2 adults will be obese by 2030 and 1 in 4 will be severely obese..9
  • Obesity prevalence rates are projected to be higher than 35% in all states and above 50% in 29 states.10
  • Obesity is linked to heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and certain types of cancer which are among the leading causes of preventable, premature death. The CDC estimates this translates to a medical cost of nearly $173 billion annually in the U.S. 11

Newly available prescription drugs to treat obesity will shape the obesity discussion in the coming year.

Prescription drug options for treating obesity continue to dominate the media. This class of prescription drugs, known by several brand names, mimic the effects of a hormone that can help people feel full.12 When used appropriately and with correct dosing in conjunction with appropriate lifestyle behavior modifications, these prescription medications can result in a significant amount of weight loss. Unfortunately, when lifestyle modifications and regular medication use are abandoned, weight loss may reverse. There are still many aspects of weight-loss medications to sort through, like the long-term effects of usage. Even so, the emergence of these drugs has started to change the conversation around obesity.

Obesity has long been thought of as a personal failure and a lack of willpower, a condition caused by eating too much and not exercising enough. Now, attitudes are starting to shift and there is general acknowledgement that obesity is a disease. As Dr. David Rind, chief medical officer for the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review, noted: “It’s become more and more obvious over the years that obesity is a medical issue, not a lifestyle choice,” Rind said. “We’ve been waiting for drugs like this for a very long time.”13

According to new research released by Mercer, less than half of large employers currently cover the new generation of obesity drugs. But, an additional 18% are considering adding them to prescription drug coverage.14 Reducing the prevalence of obesity in the employee population can lead to a reduction in health care costs, which is inarguably good for employers, but many are worried about the short-term costs and how to develop reasonable policies around who gets access to these drugs. It will be interesting to continue to monitor the inclusion of these treatments under employee medical plans in the coming year.

Menopause.

Despite the fact that every woman will go through menopause at some point in her life, there has been shockingly little discussion about it. Until now.

A recent Mayo Clinic study found that the potential direct and indirect costs of absenteeism, lost work productivity, increased health care costs, and lost opportunities for career advancement caused by menopause are staggering. Additionally, according to the study, menopause costs American women an estimated $1.8 billion in lost working time per year.15 Moreover, menopause often takes place at a time when women are most likely to move into top leadership positions and be contributing meaningfully to the organization.16

So while millions of women have suffered in silence—enduring common menopause symptoms like hot flashes, brain fog, joint pain, insomnia, weight gain and anxiety that can last for six to 10 years—relief is on the horizon. Much of it is taking place in the workplace.

Progressive employers have realized that helping women during this phase of their life isn’t just a nice thing to do—it’s also critical to retaining and sustaining the engagement of a critical component of their workforce—women. Put simply, it’s not just an issue of gender and age, it’s a business issue.

We will see employers stepping up efforts here, including offering additional health care benefits, forming Employee Resource Groups, training managers to be more educated and empathetic about menopause, and offering workplace accommodations like additional leave and more flexible work schedules. These employers will break down the stigma of talking about menopause in the workplace, much like we have done with mental health. At WebMD Health Services, our Health Coaches are trained in women’s hormonal concerns and have been dispensing good advice regarding menopause for years. We’re excited that this issue is being more openly discussed in well-being circles like ours and in society in general.

The average life expectancy in the U.S. now exceeds 73 years for men and 79 years for women, and many people are living vibrant lives well into their 80s and 90s.17 Research by AARP18 and McKinsey19 finds that older adults view age as “just a number,” and are optimistic about their future. As the McKinsey study notes, it’s important to focus on capacity, not age, and recognize the potential that older individuals have to contribute meaningfully to the workplace long past 65, once considered the traditional age of retirement.

McKinsey found that purpose, stress, physical activity, lifelong learning, meaningful connections with others and financial security are the factors that most strongly influence our health as we age. Well-being programs are well-poised to deliver many solutions to help older employees age well and increase their healthspan, or the period of time individuals are enjoying good health as they age. Expect to see targeted campaigns focused on this cohort in 2024. Given that the 50-plus age group is expected to contribute $12.6 trillion to the U.S. economy by 2030, it’s easy to see how focusing on keeping this employee cohort happy, healthy and engaged is an important priority.

But it’s not just older workers we should be concerned about. By 2030, it’s estimated that Gen Z will make up about 30% of the workforce in the U.S.20 By focusing on their well-being now, we’re investing in the longevity and sustaining power of our people.

Trend 3: Employers are taking a more proactive, preventive approach to employee mental health.

While the pandemic may have subsided, we’ve emerged into an uncertain economy, high inflation, escalating climate events, social discord at home, and war in Europe and the Middle East. These factors, combined with job-related and financial stress, are taking their toll on workers and leading to unprecedented levels of anxiety and depression in the workforce. Business Group on Health’s 2024 Large Employer Health Care Strategy Survey found that 77% percent of large employers reported an increase in the mental health needs among their workforce, with another 16% anticipating that mental health needs will continue to increase in the future.21

Workers also increasingly expect employers to support them with their mental health. A 2023 study by the American Psychological Association found that 92% of workers said:

  • It is very (57%) or somewhat (35%) important to them to work for an organization that values their emotional and psychological well-being; and
  • It is very (52%) or somewhat (40%) important to them to work for an organization that provides support for employee mental health.22

As we discussed in Trend 1, employee well-being is linked to engagement and productivity. And so, in 2024, we’ll see employers step up with increased access to mental health support and services and a deeper, more considered approach to employee mental health that goes beyond simply checking the box, including:

  • A year-round focus on mental health. There is considerable work to be done to continue break down the stigma of mental health in the workplace. For example, 43% of employees reported worrying that if they told their employer about a mental health condition, it would have a negative impact on them in the workplace. In 2024 we’ll see a more sustained effort by employers to reduce the stigma through campaigns that go beyond Mental Health Awareness Month. Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) will play a key part in expanding awareness and acting as a liaison between leadership and employees.
  • Manager training. Managers play a critical role in tackling workplace mental health concerns. Not only are they the front line to employees when it comes to educating them about the resources available to them, they can also be a major source of the stress employees experience. We’ll see stepped-up efforts to educate managers in recognizing mental health issues among their workers (think mental health first aid training); support to help them become more flexible, empathetic leaders; and encouragement to more openly address mental health in all-employee forums.
  • Expanded EAP services. In addition to increasing the number of free counseling sessions, employers will continue to promote the EAP’s services and make it easier for employees to access them. Part of this will entail communicating about what employees should expect when they call the EAP and emphasizing that the EAP is not just for serious mental health concerns, but also for everyday challenges that affect our well-being.
  • Supplemental networks for virtual or in-person care. While most health plans provide some support for behavioral health services, it comes with restrictions that limit the amount of coverage and care people can receive. And, given the mental health provider shortage, it can be difficult to locate mental health providers who are taking on new patients. By expanding to networks that specialize in mental health services employees can gain greater access to care in a way that suits them—either in-person or virtually.

Trend 4: Artificial intelligence (AI) and the future of well-being solutions and their delivery – cautiously embracing.

 In 2023, it seemed AI was all we could talk about. Now that the dust has settled a bit, we’re reflecting on how AI may be applied in the well-being sector in 2024.

How AI will impact the future of workplace well-being.

From using AI-generated data to deliver the best possible well-being intervention at the right time and in exactly the right way, to enhancing and augmenting services that previously required human intervention, to being able to detect health risks early, there is certainly excitement about the possibilities AI brings to the world of well-being, but not surprisingly, some hesitations as well.

  • Personalization. Well-being is inherently personal, so anything that enhances our ability to deliver personalized solutions is a game-changer. AI will allow well-being providers to provide more sophisticated and unique data-driven recommendations to individuals that incorporate their health status, preferences and behaviors. Additionally, employees can receive more information about their progress, which can sustain motivation and increase satisfaction and engagement. This will help organizations deliver solutions that truly resonate with participants and ideally lead to greater behavior change and overall satisfaction with the well-being program.
  • Virtual well-being “assistants.” From nutrition advice to exercise suggestions to tips for managing stress, AI-based chatbot solutions can offer 24/7 tailored, personalized support while helping to build motivation to keep participants engaged in their well-being. And, given the shortage of mental health providers, these chatbots can serve as a short-term intervention while waiting to see a therapist. Plus, AI assistants continuously refine solutions based on user input, ensuring that recommendations are always on point.
  • Early detection. AI-powered wearable devices have the capability to monitor biometric data like heart rate, sleep patterns and physical activity and determine if any of these indicate a potential health problem. If a risk is identified, the individual can receive the right intervention, potentially warding off a more serious (and costly) condition.24 New AI solutions can also use people’s voices to detect signs and severity of mental health conditions to connect people to the right type of resources. These applications can also track mental health over time to determine whether specific interventions are effective.25

Finally, AI can enable employers to become more targeted and efficient in their approach to employee mental health. For example, algorithms can analyze text-based communication (like employee surveys, chats, or emails) to detect signs of stress, burnout or other mental health issues, allowing companies to target the appropriate support to their workforces.26 AI may even be able to foster a more inclusive work environment by helping organizations identify and address potential biases and discrimination that may be impacting employee well-being and mental health. AI can also help EAPs become more efficient in finding and recruiting counselors, processing new patient requests, and matching people with the right therapist.27

Potential downsides of AI.

While there’s no doubt that AI presents interesting opportunities to maximize the value of well-being solutions, we’d be remiss if we didn’t address some of the pitfalls of AI when it comes to well-being. We know that AI is not foolproof and is only as good as the data it is trained on, so inaccuracies can happen. And, as we know, human behavior is unpredictable and complex, so even the best AI application may not be perfect. AI may also generate incorrect information or biased content. Therefore, quality assurances and validation should still be performed by human experts before leveraging AI content. There is also the trust factor. Well-being data is personal and employees may draw the line regarding how, when and where their private health information is utilized by their employer.

Finally, there will be situations where AI cannot take the place of genuine, thoughtful human interaction. As Brian Evergreen, founder and CEO of The Profitable Good Company, related in a recent podcast: “There are organizations who will automate anything and everything possible. And they’ll learn by feedback from the market that there are certain touch points of human experience that are critical.”28 So, in the end, it will be up to us to decide how we can best channel the benefits of AI to address the well-being needs of our populations.

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Well-Being Priorities: Our Perspective on the Ever-Evolving Well-Being Landscape https://www.webmdhealthservices.com/blog/well-being-priorities-our-perspective-on-the-ever-evolving-well-being-landscape/ Tue, 13 Dec 2022 09:00:36 +0000 https://www.webmdhealthservices.com/?p=10927 As we sat down to consider well-being trends for the coming year, we quickly noticed that this year’s list looked a lot like last year’s. Employee mental health; creating a culture of well-being; diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging at work; and enhancing the employee experience – all of these will continue to be priorities for employers and we expect to see a deepening of employer efforts in these areas.

Priority #1: Normalizing Mental Health in the Workplace

Without a doubt, mental health is now the primary dimension of most employers’ well-being strategy. This is because across all generations and roles so many employees are feeling stressed, isolated, frustrated, or depressed.

Mind Share Partners research found that 76% of U.S. workers reported at least one symptom of a mental health condition (anxiety, depression) – an increase of 17 percentage points in just two years.​1 These feelings are even more acute among younger workers.​ We have also seen this in our own book of business: from 2019 to 2021 we observed an increase in risks for sleep, stress, and emotional health among WebMD Health Services’ participants.

What’s new this year when it comes to mental health is the acknowledgement that our workplaces play a significant role in our lives and most certainly affect multiple dimension of our well-being. And, importantly, that employer support for mental health is a now a must-have retention factor.

In support of the notion that workplaces need to be involved in creating a mentally healthy workforce, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek C. Murthy recently released The Surgeon General’s Framework for Workplace Mental Health and Well-Being, which explores the connection between the well-being of workers and the health of organizations.​1

In it, Dr. Murthy states: “Organizations can further normalize and support mental health while decreasing stigma at work by validating challenges, communicating mental health and well‑being as priorities, and offering both support and prevention services.”

What can your organization do to continue to move the needle on mental health this year?

  • Re-evaluate your mental health offerings to ensure you are meeting the needs of all employees. Just as there are many different mental health concerns, there is also no one-size-fits-all approach to treating mental health.
    • Offer multiple ways to receive counseling: in-person, video, and chat.
    • And, offer other types of support in the form of mental health podcasts, webinars, and educational materials.
  • Prepare and train managers.​ This is one of the biggest ways you can reduce the stigma of mental health at your organization. Ensure managers know how to have a conversation about mental health and can point employees to the resources that are available.
  • Take stock of your Employee Assistance Program (EAP). EAPs can provide counseling and mental health referrals to employees. But therapists are in short supply these days, so be sure the EAP is setting the right expectations up front.
  • Create a mental health taskforce or Employee Resource Group. These groups can regularly promote the importance of mental health at work and raise awareness of suicide prevention. It’s also a place where employees can feel psychologically safe to talk about sensitive mental health concerns.
  • Explore external recognition. The extent to which an employer supports mental health is becoming a differentiator for job seekers. So although recognition should not be a reason to offer mental health support, you may wish to tap into organizations that recognize employers who do. The Carolyn C. Mattingly Award for Mental Health in the Workplace3 and the APA’s Psychologically Healthy Workplace Awards,4 among others, offer a chance to make your well-being efforts known. Not quite ready for an award? You also can look at the award criteria as a roadmap for baseline practices you can implement at your own organization.
  • Most importantly, acknowledge that mental health doesn’t live in a vacuum. Mental health contributes to and is influenced by the social determinants of health; diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging; physical health; and financial well-being. So as you evaluate your mental health offerings, make sure that you’re providing support for other aspects of well-being, too.

Priority #2: Aligning Well-Being to the Culture of Your Organization

Workplace wellness programs have seen quite a transformation in the last few decades. Initially focused on lifestyle changes like tobacco cessation, weight loss, condition management, and increasing physical activity, employee well-being programs have grown to encompass so much more: mental health, financial wellness, social connections, diversity and inclusion – the list goes on.

And now we have another change happening, a shift toward a true “culture of health,” in which well-being programs will play a key role. This shift comes on the heels of the pandemic which prompted a reevaluation of work itself, and generated new thinking on what employers should be responsible for when it comes to helping employees lead a healthy, balanced life.

While many workers are returning to the office and some semblance of normalcy, it’s not like we can just pick back up where we left off in 2020. We can’t even call it the “new normal” because there is nothing normal about the unrelenting societal, cultural, and geopolitical upheaval we’ve all experienced in the last three years.

We’ve taken to calling this new world of work the “never normal.” And we firmly believe that for any company to succeed in the “never normal,” they need healthy and engaged employees who can bring their best selves to work in order to meet the disruptions ahead.​

The good news is that employers are uniquely equipped to help make health and wellness a priority for employees. They have the ability to create a shared culture and common purpose, and they provide the communication platforms, support tools, programs, and incentives that drive engagement and influence behavior.

So what are some of the hallmarks of a culture of health employers should be working towards?

1. Well-being as a strategic priority. Organizations with a true culture of health will prioritize well-being as a business objective, in acknowledgement of the fact that employee well-being is potentially one of the biggest contributors to business growth. We’ll move beyond just having a well-being program that lives under the tent of benefits to a framework that guides business decisions and is woven into the fiber of the organization and its culture. We may even see the appointment of Chief Well-being Officers​, which sends a powerful signal to current and prospective employees that health and well-being is a corporate value.

2. A sense of purpose.​ Research by McKinsey found two-thirds of employees felt that COVID-19 had caused them to reflect on their purpose in life.5 So, more than a high salary or unique perks and benefits, employee well-being can be enhanced by connecting employees to the corporate mission and giving them the sense of purpose and fulfillment they are craving.

3. Social connection and community. Seventy-two percent of employees say it’s important for them to feel like part of a community at work.6 Social connection is known to lead to increased happiness, better physical health, and even a longer life, which is why it will increasingly become essential to workplace well-being.7

4. A special focus on supporting leaders and managers. With increased responsibilities, turnover, and uncertainty, leaders are burning out​. Gallup reports that while stress, anxiety, and diagnosed depression declined in 2021 for individual contributors and high-level leaders, it increased for managers.8 Only 1 in 3 managers are emotionally engaged at work, and managers experienced the highest drop in engagement over the past year.9 ​Healthy workplace cultures will need to prioritize ways to support mid-level managers.

Priority #3: Making Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging (DEI&B) an Organizational Norm

A commitment to a more diverse and equitable workplace has been on our trend list for the last few years, yet research we conducted this fall revealed that over half of employees do not believe their company is doing what it takes to create a workplace that promotes DEI&B. The concept of “belonging” was most often called out as “needing improvement.” Moreover, four in 10 employees surveyed report that they would leave their company for a more inclusive one. ​

The extent to which our workplaces promote DEI&B is a significant concern in and of itself, but particularly because of its importance to the largest component of the workforce – millennials. By the year 2025, millennials will make up 75% of the global workforce, and this group will occupy the majority of leadership roles over the coming decade. They will be responsible for making important decisions that affect workplace cultures and people’s lives. Even as far back as 2016, 47% of millennials were actively looking for diversity in the workplace when sizing up potential employers.​1

While older generations tend to view diversity through the lenses of race, demographics, equality, and representation, millennials see diversity as a melding of varying experiences, different backgrounds and individual perspectives. They view the ideal workplace as a supportive environment that gives space to varying perspectives on a given issue. ​

So, if organizations want to hire and sustain a millennial workforce, diversity must be a key part of the company culture. ​To be sure, many organizations are doing great work in this space. But those that ignore the urgent need for diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging run the risk of losing valuable employees.

What are some ways employers can continue to work on DEI&B ?

  • Build organizational capabilities and learnings at all levels of the organization through virtual classrooms, in-person training, and webinars. Focus skill-building on how to develop inclusive teams and leaders; our recent research found evidence of 50% higher team morale among employees who work for diverse companies.
  • Elevate DEI&B champions. Whether through an Employee Resource Group or other organization, enlist champions to help communicate, influence, and gain support for DEI strategic objectives and goals.​​
  • Continue to explore health equity. We addressed this concept in last year’s trends and it remains Employers need to recognize that an individual’s or a community’s history, environmental, social, and systemic conditions play a huge role in overall well-being and are directly related to how long we live; our quality of life; rates of disease, disability and death; and disease severity.2 Research shows that promoting health equity can benefit employee health and productivity, and reduce health care costs.
  • Consider more inclusive benefits. Many companies will address health equity for a diverse workforce by expanding coverage and benefits for neurodiverse populations and transgender individuals. There is also an increased recognition of the importance of making disability inclusion a key part of DEI&B initiatives.​
  • Support reproductive health. Employers are expanding fertility benefits to cover all types of families; addressing maternal mortality for under-resourced populations; offering doula services coverage for expecting parents; and providing stipends for women who must travel to another state to receive an abortion.

Priority #4: Evolving & Embracing the Employee Experience

Gartner defines employee experience as “the way in which employees internalize and interpret the interactions they have with their organization, as well as the context that underlies those interactions.”2 Essentially, it’s all of the individual moments of an employee’s experience that add up to how they feel about an employer’s purpose, brand, and culture.​ And, no surprise, it plays a huge role in employee engagement.

Against the post-pandemic backdrop of low unemployment and a talent shortage, organizations are trying to figure out what the right experience is for employees. As we mentioned earlier, it seems we can’t go back to where we were before or during the pandemic – so what will the right experience be moving forward? Every organization is different and it will take a lot of soul-searching to settle on what the culture is willing to accept to create the right post-pandemic employee experience.

Based on our own research and the work of others in the well-being field, we feel the following will be important components to consider in the coming year:

Flexibility.

​It’s safe to say that flexibility is a key characteristic of the modern workforce and has emerged as one of the most important aspects of employee engagement. Research by Envoy found half of employees agree that “having the freedom to split time between the workplace and home, and the flexibility to choose which days to come in, are just as important as traditional benefits like matching 401(k)s and paid time off.”3

And so we can clearly predict that hybrid work will become mainstream. In fact, Gartner recently found that if an organization were to go back to a fully on-site arrangement, it would risk losing up to 39% of its workforce.4

But flexibility is also starting to encompass when and how we work, too. According to McKinsey, “employees today demand flexibility tailored to their specific needs, whether it be work-life balance, physical and emotional health, or caring for family.”5 Blended workdays are also becoming more popular. It’s all part of creating a new human-centric model for the hybrid environment by designing work around what will allow employees to feel productive, valued, and balanced.

Fulfilment, belonging, and satisfaction.

A recent PwC study found that while pay is a top factor for employee retention, there are other, less tangible factors that are important to retention.6​ Three of the top four factors people consider when changing jobs have to do with meaning, belonging, and well-being. Only pay ranked higher than items like: “I find my job fulfilling;” “I can truly be myself;” and “My team cares about my well-being.”

Shifting from a transactional relationship to one of human connection.

​In the “before times,” the employee experience was often centered on “perks” that employers offered to employees to entice them to join the organization and, often, to work longer and harder. Things like unlimited food, nap rooms, ping pong tables, craft beer, free dry cleaning, and other gimmicks. Now that working from home is the norm for many, these kinds of “in-office” perks are no longer relevant.

In addition, employees now place a higher value on how they feel about working at the company and how much the company values them as people. Clearly, this requires a different approach—one that doesn’t correlate engagement and retention with extra benefits, time off (though this can be important), or a fancy office.

​What should employers be focusing on to create a healthy employee experience and enhance engagement?

  • Focus on a “human deal” that makes employees feel cared for financially, physically, and emotionally. ​ After all, it’s the people who make a company successful, and when employees feel like you care for them they’ll be intrinsically motivated to contribute.
  • Establish support “touchpoints” throughout an employee’s career journey. These can include regular training and feedback, career path discussions, relationships with a mentor, the ability to give managers feedback – essentially anything that makes an employee feel seen and heard.
  • ​ Recognize that personal relationships at work are a must, not a nice-to-have. Be inquisitive about people’s lives outside of work and foster connections through clubs, lunch and learns, group coaching, and community service.
  • Continually make the connection between work and how it ties in to the overall goals of the company, and the greater good in society, if applicable.
  • Prioritize diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging by funding employee resource groups and encouraging people to become champions.
  • Invest in your leaders to make sure that they’re well-equipped to guide the organization in turbulent times and also tend to their own personal well-being. The same goes for investing in talent. Turnover is expensive, and focusing on a positive employee experience can increase retention.
  • Consider the emotional employee experience. Connect with employees on how they think and feel about being a part of your organization through employee listening (focus groups, pulse surveys).
  • And, finally, it goes without saying ​but investing in employee health and well-being – in all its many forms – is a non-negotiable.

There is one element that is at the heart of all of our well-being priorities – and that is your people. People are the single most important asset in any organization, so improving health and well-being and creating a positive employee experience – especially in today’s tight labor market – should be a business imperative. Employers have the potential to play a key role in the creation of a healthy workforce by fostering an inclusive workplace culture, creating community at work, linking work to a larger purpose, and acknowledging and supporting the many dimensions of well-being that are impacted by work. If you have any questions or need help navigating the ever-evolving well-being landscape, visit our website or contact us at connect@webmd.net.

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A Fireside Chat with WebMD Health Services Clients https://www.webmdhealthservices.com/blog/a-fireside-chat-with-webmd-health-services-clients/ Tue, 25 Oct 2022 08:00:12 +0000 https://www.webmdhealthservices.com/?p=10839 It’s been over a month and we’re still basking in the proverbial glow of the Empower Forum, our recent Client Forum at the beautiful Skamania Lodge along the Columbia River to discuss all things well-being. Before the fireside chat session, we asked clients to send us their toughest well-being program questions. A great discussion ensued, and we’re pleased to share the highlights in this week’s blog.

You asked: What does a healthy workplace culture look like today?

A healthy workplace culture is so important right now. Recent studies show that nearly 50% of employees would leave their current jobs for a lower-paying opportunity at an organization with a better culture. If we had to name one aspect of workplace culture that is most important, it would have to be flexibility. No matter what your strategy is – return to the office, remain remote, or a hybrid model – letting employees have some say in how, when, and where they work is key to good workplace culture.

Social connections are also important – especially with a dispersed workforce. At WebMD Health Services we have team members working in almost all 50 states, so we try hard to create connections between them. A few things we’ve done are movie nights, virtual workouts with our own health coaches, at-home cooking and cocktail-making demos, March Madness basketball challenges, and National Pet Day virtual pet playdates. We are also hosting a virtual showing of Hocus Pocus 2 leading up to Halloween! At the beginning of the year we invested in a more formal peer-to-peer program that matches up individuals from different areas of the company every quarter to have structured conversations about topics ranging from finding inspiration at work to being a better manager. It’s been an amazing way for our team to meet others they might not normally cross paths with and build real connections.

Leadership also sets the tone for a healthy workplace culture. Leaders are increasingly being called upon to practice empathy and compassion and also to create a culture where people can be seen, heard, and valued for being their authentic selves. They also need to give employees “permission” to focus on their well-being – across multiple dimensions – and walk the talk themselves. Finally, people – especially younger generations – are craving more connection to the meaning of their work. Leaders can help here by reminding people of the company’s mission or purpose and connecting it back to the work people do.

You asked: Well-being programs have evolved quite a bit in the past few years. What new programs, strategies, philosophies, or investments characterize the “new” well-being program?

First, we’d have to say that most organizations now realize that helping employees with well-being is a “must-have” to retain and attract talent, versus a “nice-to-have.” Companies see well-being as an extension of their culture, not just something people do on their own time. Of course, mental health is a critical element of any well-being program, and we are helping clients offer their employees several diverse ways to access that help via chat apps, podcasts, resilience tools, etc.

We also see well-being programs become more personalized – for example, identifying what well-being means to everyone in their organization and tailoring programs to do just that. For example, some of our clients have customized wellness challenges to support what their population needs—be it self-care, social justice, community service, and more. Personalization in this new world also means unique goal-setting for individuals: for one person well-being means eating healthy, but for someone else it’s looking for more opportunities to connect with people after the isolation of COVID.

Well-being programs also have to be accessible to a dispersed workforce now. While in the past we relied on well-being champions in the building to drum up excitement for events, we have to rethink how to reach employees who work remotely. On the flip side, we are seeing renewed interest in having a “human element” as part of the well-being program – such as our onsite Dedicated Well-Being staff. As companies encourage workers to return to the office this human contact with a well-being professional is one way to entice them.

You asked: Point solutions seem to be everywhere these days. Why is a holistic well-being program better than a point solution or a combination of point solutions?

It’s true, every time you turn around there seems to be a new point solution. We get it – employers and health plans want to deliver a comprehensive, personalized, and holistic well-being program to employees and members. But, when there are too many apps to manage employees begin to experience “point solution fatigue.” People start to be overwhelmed by going to multiple places for well-being and some may just abandon them all.

From the organization’s standpoint, there are other risks:

  • It can be hard to measure results from multiple standalone solutions;
  • You have to juggle relationships with many different vendors, but each point solution only addresses one problem;
  • Each solution feels transactional and siloed, versus outcomes-focused;
  • There’s no or very little sharing of information, and you bear the burden of trying to bring all these disparate benefits and services together;
  • There’s no consistent look and feel across all the solutions; and
  • It’s expensive!

That said, we recognize that even a really holistic well-being platform can’t be comprehensive in everything. Financial wellness, caregiving for an aging parent, mental health practitioners – sometimes you do need to go external to get some of those important services to employees. For example, though we currently offer stress coaching specialists – and will soon have mental health coaching specialists –we also recognize that if someone needs very specific help or support, we have to refer them out to a service vendor our clients have (like an EAP) or another offering.

At the end of the day, our philosophy is this: we start with a comprehensive platform that focuses on assessing one’s health, lifestyle and condition management support, engagement, daily habits, challenges, community, and incentives. We then layer on vetted, curated vendors to support more in-depth areas: like help for musculoskeletal conditions and pain management through our partnership with Fern Health and caregiving with Torchlight. We also take care not to add multiple point solution vendors in one category because we vet and ensure we are offering the best. We think this is the best way to offer employees and members what they need while making the experience as seamless and user-friendly as possible.

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That’s a wrap! We hope you’ve enjoyed learning more about the amazing discussions we had at the Empower Forum and look forward to seeing more of you at our next event. In the meantime, to learn how a well-being program can benefit your organization, visit our website or contact us at connect@webmd.net.

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Our 2022 Well-Being Predictions https://www.webmdhealthservices.com/blog/our-2022-well-being-predictions/ Tue, 07 Dec 2021 09:00:49 +0000 https://www.webmdhealthservices.com/?p=10306 2021 is coming to a close, and it’s time for our annual list of well-being predictions to watch for in 2022. Now in our second year of the COVID-19 pandemic, we continue to expand our knowledge about what employees truly need when it comes to their well-being—and how to best deliver that support. Here’s how we see well-being evolving over the next year.

2021: The year of learning and growing.

This past year has allowed us to peel back the layers of employee well-being even further. For example, the acknowledgment that our mental health is just as important as our physical health—so much so that the C-suite is now openly talking about mental health and pushing for greater employee support. Employers now understand that workplace engagement and productivity are as much related to how we live outside of work as to what we do during the workday. How not everyone has the same access to healthcare, resulting in an unlevel playing field. And how employees are using their voices to dictate how, where, and when they work.

All of this translates to well-being. But a different kind of well-being. While still important, we’re moving beyond biometric screenings and step-counting to a more holistic look at what makes a person truly happy and healthy. It’s all a bit “squishy,” to use an unscientific term. And we’re going to have to be OK with not being able to measure it precisely.

So, despite the devastation of COVID-19, we are learning and growing in the well-being industry. It’s an exciting space to be in right now. I hope you enjoy reading and wish everyone a happy, healthy, and balanced holiday season!

Trend 1: The mental health revolution.

After a year of uncertainty, reaction, and scrambling to provide resources, mental health is finally becoming intentional.

Stress, anxiety, depression, burnout. Americans were suffering from these mental health concerns before, but the impact of the COVID-19 crisis has magnified them. The Kaiser Family Foundation reports that about 4 in 10 adults in the U.S. have reported anxiety or depressive disorder symptoms during the pandemic. This is up from one in ten adults who reported these symptoms from January to June 2019.

To help, employers steered struggling employees to Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) or other mental health resources they may have had at the time. It soon became apparent, however, that this would not be enough. Hence what I’m calling the “mental health revolution.”

Getting intentional.

Mental health lives on a spectrum. There are times when we need professional assistance from a mental health counselor. But we all have lower acuity mental health issues that we deal with every day—like stress and anxiety—that need tending on a regular basis. Call it “preventive care for mental health,” or what we do to stop symptoms from becoming a full-blown mental health crisis.

And so companies are responding with more “intentional” and holistic benefits and programs that will allow each individual to use and interact with offerings based on their personal mental health needs. This could include:

  • On-demand telephonic 1:1 mental health coaching support
  • Mental health apps
  • Text-based access to mental health counselors
  • Training in stress management and resilience
  • Meditation and mindfulness programs or apps
  • Social media support groups
  • Podcasts
  • Group-based support that builds a community

Training programs will spike, and cultures will change.

We’re also going to see an increased emphasis on training leaders and managers to create a culture that supports mental health. As we know, throwing a bunch of mental health resources at employees won’t move the needle if the culture doesn’t change. Unrelenting work demands, inflexibility, and lack of support are common reasons employees are stressed. So companies need to take a hard look at workplace practices. Managers also need relevant training on how to have conversations with employees about mental health—a subject that many may be uncomfortable with.

And one last comment. Employees are expecting mental health support from their employers. In fact, 7 in 10 people believe employers should offer a mental and emotional health program.1 So it only makes sense that the organizations that take a more intentional approach to mental health will reap the benefits—better retention, productivity, engagement, morale, and so much more. All that to say, an intentional approach to mental health is here to stay.

Trend 2: 2022 will be the year of the employee.

Employees will continue demanding a more “human” work experience to bring their whole selves to work.

The “Great Resignation” among U.S. workers continues to gain strength, with people quitting more frequently. Suffice to say, there’s been a reckoning of sorts in what workers feel they should tolerate. And also a sense that employers should recognize their human side—beyond what they do for a living. Layered onto this is the most radical change to hit the workforce in a century: the fact that we’ll probably never go back to a time when people are in the office five days a week, eight hours a day.

And so, employers have had to regroup and consider how to create an employee experience where people can bring their whole selves to work, feel supported, and still feel connected enough to stay engaged—all of which are infused with well-being. Ultimately, this “human” element should work to achieve a great workplace experience that results in employee growth, belonging and loyalty.

How will this translate into action in 2022?

Investment in the digital workplace.

With so many organizations opting for a hybrid or completely remote work model, the changing workplace is pushing companies to invest in technology to allow employees to easily and seamlessly exchange information virtually—hopefully preserving the flow of ideas that used to happen around the water cooler. Daily team check-ins and more frequent one-on-ones between managers and direct reports will be essential to keeping the human connection at work alive while supporting the evolution of company culture.

More employee input.

We’ll continue to see employers utilize pulse surveys to get a quick check on well-being. Pulse surveys will also help employers understand what employees value and need to feel supported—more collaboration, social connections, financial wellness, career growth, community service, different well-being incentives, whatever it may be.

A shift in leadership style.

Leaders and managers are getting upskilled to be more empathetic to employee needs. And with good cause. Research shows that employees with managers who demonstrate care, concern, and understanding of their feelings and the circumstances that may influence their work performance are more productive, more engaged, and more likely to stay with a company.2

More transparency to business strategy and increased employee communication.

The increase in employee communication, borne out of necessity at the start of the pandemic, will continue. We’ll see a concerted effort to keep employees in the know about company purpose and vision, programs to support employee well-being, and ways to stay connected remotely.

Blended well-being programming.

Although we’ve successfully shifted much of our own well-being programming to a virtual environment, we believe that some in-person interaction is critical. Look for hybrid experiences—health coaches who meet with people virtually most of the time, but have an in-person check-in once a month; and well-being champions whose activities rally the troops in the office and those who are still remote.

An even more personal approach to well-being.

We’ve always said that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to well-being, and this is truer than ever. Because being “healthy” means different things to different people—especially those of different ethnic, racial, and geographic backgrounds—well-being will become even more personal. This means well-being vendors will need to be flexible and have strong segmentation, integration, and customer service capabilities.

Trend 3: Measuring the unmeasurable.

We’ll become more comfortable “measuring the unmeasurable” of employee well-being.

Amidst the ever-present debate about whether well-being programs really “work,” we’ve always urged our clients to look beyond direct cost-savings and consider the long-term, indirect ways a well-being program can impact the bottom line. Things like retention of key talent, greater employee engagement, higher employee trust and commitment, and a stronger culture. We sometimes refer to it as the “value of investment” (VOI) versus a “return on investment” (ROI).

A new way to measure well-being.

We now see a new way of measuring well-being success on the horizon. It has to do with the fact that as populations become more diverse—and employers shift to a more individualistic well-being approach—what constitutes success will be different for every individual.

To borrow a term from the world of clinical trials, we can think of it as the “n of 1,” which considers an individual patient as the sole unit of observation. Said another way, it’ll be less about measuring specific behavior change and more about a more holistic observation of whether we feel we are thriving, despite what metrics might say.

How success will be measured.

While we certainly won’t abandon VOI and ROI in certain circumstances, we predict we’ll see success measured less in numbers like 80% participant engagement, the number of daily visits, or 5% population weight loss, and more in terms of:

  • Accomplishments
  • Connectedness
  • Culture
  • Decreased worries around health
  • Feelings
  • Healthier personal life
  • Inclusivity
  • Personal best
  • Supporting the “moments” that matter

So, just as mental health is becoming more intentional, we expect that the measurement of well-being program success will also shift—toward a more holistic approach that goes beyond the numbers or wins and losses to consider the impact on a person’s whole life. Gauging success this way also makes room for evaluating programs on things that are increasingly regarded as critical to our well-being, such as flexibility in when, where, and how much we work; social connection; and belonging and inclusivity, which leads to our next prediction.

Trend 4: The expansion of DEI at work.

Organizations will expand diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts to encompass “belonging” in the workplace.

The pandemic allowed workers to take a step back and ask themselves some critical questions. Is my work meaningful? Are my values aligned with the company’s mission? Do I feel like I belong here? Does my company value who I am as a person?

The answers were a resounding no for many people, further fueling the “Great Resignation” we mentioned in Trend 2. In fact, a Korn Ferry survey found 36% of professionals say they plan to take a different job in the near future because the pandemic allowed them to re-evaluate what they want and the change they need.

Now, people are bringing their whole selves to work.

The pandemic also upended policies and practices—both written and unwritten—that previously made certain groups of people feel excluded. For example, many employees who felt pressure to change or hide aspects of their cultural or ethnic identity for the workplace no longer felt they needed to. Before the pandemic, the “face time” required in so many workplaces excluded parents who needed to pick up children and introverts for whom long hours in the office were draining.

With remote work, these “norms” largely went away. Working from home also made it okay to reveal parts of our lives that we previously felt needed to be hidden—pets, kids, emotions, and the interesting hobbies now on full view in our Zoom backgrounds. Suddenly we collectively asked ourselves: why did we feel the need to hide so much of ourselves at work? There was no good reason, except for the fact that we’d always done it this way. Luckily, for many organizations, this is no longer the case.

So, while organizations will continue to formally focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace, we’ll see these efforts expand to encompass “belonging” and “purpose” as critical components of organizational culture.

DEI efforts can positively impact employee well-being.

Perhaps you’re thinking, what does this have to do with well-being? More than you might think. If there is discord in our values, if we feel we’re not accepted, if we’ve been actively excluded in the workplace—all of these impact, you guessed it, our mental health. Which, as we know, can affect our physical health.

It’s a long way of saying that as part of the movement to care for the whole person, employers will need to consider how employees feel on the job and about working for your company. Look for new initiatives around:

A more human-centered management style.

Leaders and managers will receive training on how to create a sense of belonging in their teams. This includes actively soliciting input from each person in a meeting or call; making space for conversation about employees’ lives outside of work; and regularly recognizing employee accomplishments, both big and small.

Nurturing connections between co-workers.

Yes, this may mean more trivia nights and employee talent shows, but it’s worth it to feel a deeper sense of connection with teammates in a world where remote work is here to stay.

Providing forums for shared experiences.

There’s a reason why employee resource groups (ERGs) are so popular—they provide employees with the support and camaraderie that can often be lacking in a workplace. These groups will continue to have a voice in shaping company culture.

Intentional community-building.

We’ll see a concerted effort to join together in support of a shared goal. Things like volunteer events that are aligned with the company’s mission and vision. And rituals—like a First Friday lunch or randomized meetings to meet someone new from your workplace—to foster a sense of community and belonging.

Sharing corporate purpose.

To help employees feel “connected” to their work, companies will communicate more regularly about their mission and goals and how employees’ daily actions support them.

Trend 5: Digging even deeper into social determinants of health.

The well-being space will dig deeper into the social determinants of health, focusing on achieving greater health equity and promoting systemic change.

Our 2021 predictions discussed how employee health cannot be separated from the “social determinants of health,” which are the conditions that shape and influence employee experiences—including where they’re born, grow, play, learn, work, and pray. This year, we’ll see some additional efforts in this space, with employers working to ensure that all employees have equal access to health care—also known as health equity—and health plans playing a bigger role in employee health, beyond basic healthcare needs.

What is health equity?

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), health equity is achieved when every person has the opportunity to “attain his or her full health potential,” and no one is “disadvantaged from achieving this potential because of social position or other socially determined circumstances.” The CDC believes that health inequities are directly related to how long we live; our quality of life; rates of disease, disability and death; and disease severity.3

The pandemic is a prime example of how our communities influence our overall health. As we know, COVID-19 has disproportionately impacted people of color, women, poor communities, younger generations, those without access to good medical care or health insurance, and those already suffering from underlying conditions like diabetes and obesity.

How will employers and health plans play a role here?

As a recent Business Group on Health report states, “Employers are initiating programs and benefits to improve the circumstances that employees and their families are born into and live, which have an impact on their ability to live healthy and fulfilling lives. By zeroing in on these circumstances, employers can tackle the underlying social and economic challenges that influence overall well-being, with the goal of bringing about systemic change.”

So, what will we see? Here are some predictions:

Greater emphasis on preventive care.

Racial minorities don’t get preventive health screenings at the same rates as white people, leading to higher chronic disease and cancer rates. This has been especially true during the pandemic. Look for increased community outreach by health plans and employers to boost access to critical screenings.

Culturally appropriate healthcare and well-being programs.

Health plans and employers will work with practitioners to provide “culturally appropriate and tailored interventions” that are informed by the shared values, traditions, beliefs, and practices of underserved populations—in the hopes that they lead to greater receptivity to and acceptance of healthcare.4

Expanded access to mental health services.

Cultural barriers exist that prevent some people from seeking mental health support. Increasing health equity will include addressing these barriers to help people get the help and support they need.

Help with food insecurity.

More than 38 million people in the United States are food insecure and lack consistent access to affordable, healthy food. Health plans will work with practitioners to identify food insecure individuals and connect people with community and government assistance. Employers can play a role by subsidizing healthy food at work, providing nutritional counseling, and allowing time off to enroll in government assistance programs.

A continued focus on condition management.

Whether through a health plan or well-being program, condition management programs are critical for helping employees better manage chronic conditions through counseling and nurse lines.

Leveraging technology and digital therapeutics.

These include treatment or therapy that utilizes digital and internet-based health technologies to spur changes in patient behavior. Telemedicine is also a way to use technology to remove barriers to accessing healthcare.

Continued vaccination promotion.

Employers will continue to play a role in providing time off for vaccinations and possible side effects. Health plans will partner with community-based organizations to remove barriers to getting vaccinated.

And, while it’s not technically related to healthcare, we know that financial stress continues to be a huge concern that can lead to repercussions for mental and physical health. Employers will continue to provide services to help with budgeting, saving, debt management, and student loan debt repayment. Finally, access to good childcare is another much-needed service that has worsened in many communities during the pandemic. We’ll see continued employer support through onsite care, backup daycare, and partnering with community resources.

And there you have them, our five well-being predictions for 2022! You probably noticed a common thread running through each of them—namely, that employers and health plans will play a much more significant role in aspects of employees’ lives that were previously considered an employee’s responsibility.

It’s all part of the acknowledgment that we can no longer compartmentalize our lives and well-being into two separate domains—work and home. The lines have been completely blurred and most likely are not returning to a pre-pandemic state.

We look forward to seeing how these workplace wellness trends and predictions play out over the coming year as employers and health plans adjust and respond to new employee demands. If you have any questions or need help navigating your organization’s employee well-being journey, visit our website or contact us at connect@webmd.net.

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Workplace Wellness Trends & Benefits https://www.webmdhealthservices.com/blog/workplace-wellness-trends-benefits/ Tue, 19 Oct 2021 08:00:11 +0000 https://www.webmdhealthservices.com/?p=10257 We’re focusing on the workplace well-being trends that are hot right now, and how you can incorporate these benefits into your employee well-being programs.

While these are currently so-called “trends,” we’re hoping that many of these things become the norm within the next few years. And ultimately, it looks like employees are expecting some of these things from their employers now anyway—if they aren’t getting more flexibility and benefits with their current employer, they’re looking for other organizations who will offer the support they’re looking for.1 Many of these benefits include:

Care for the whole employee.

Companies who want to keep productivity high and retain key talent know they need to provide non-traditional benefits and support in child and elder care, family leave, parenting, mental health, financial wellness, and physical fitness.

Support for mental health.

Organizations are slowly breaking down the stigma of mental health by encouraging employees and leaders to openly share personal stories. In addition, they are offering more tools to help employees proactively manage their mental health before it becomes a crisis. Most importantly, the culture of work is changing to acknowledge that working longer and harder isn’t always working smarter.

Flexibility.

It took a pandemic for workplaces to realize that the traditional 9 to 5 day was not working for many. Employees want flexibility in both where they work and the hours they put in. Some want to continue working remotely, others want a hybrid schedule, and some can’t wait to get back to the office. In a job seeker’s market, flexibility is the name of the game.

Diversity in well-being.

Organizations who are committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion acknowledge that each employee has a unique background and experience. This needs to be factored into a well-being program for it to be truly inclusive and provide elements that everyone can access and benefit from.2

Financial wellness.

Stressing about finances can negatively affect people’s physical and emotional health. Employees are expecting help with basic financial planning and budgeting tools, student loans, and retirement. And research shows that providing the financial wellness support employees are looking for can positively impact employee engagement and loyalty, so it’s a win-win for both the employee and the organization.

Social connectivity.

Staying connected to others is essential for living a healthy, happy life and staving off loneliness. There is a role for employers to play here—especially with remote work and an increasingly geographically distributed workforce.

At-home fitness.

There’s been a revolution when it comes to where and how we work out. Online fitness classes, virtual personal trainers, and state-of-the-art in-home fitness equipment have made it possible to stay in shape and never set foot in a gym. Perhaps most importantly, employers are more accepting of the notion that physical fitness isn’t something that has to “fit in” before or after work.

Benefits to consider adding.

What are the specific benefits and programs you should incorporate to reflect some of these trends? Here are a few ideas to get you started.

Childcare.

  • Childcare locator service. EAPs provide a list of local daycare centers or other childcare providers. Many have elder care locator services, too.
  • Onsite childcare. Given the current childcare crisis, this would be a welcome benefit for lots of parents.
  • Back-up childcare options. These benefits are helpful for the days when regular childcare falls through—particularly if a school or daycare needs to quarantine.
  • Flexibility in working hours. Life happens. Let employees know it’s OK to take time to handle whatever they need to do at home to be able to bring their best selves to work—whether it’s blocking time on their calendars to pick up their kids or taking the afternoon off to care for a sick kiddo.
  • Breast milk shipping. As business travel starts to pick up, these services allow breastfeeding parents to ship breast milk back home when they are away on a business trip.

 

Mental health resources.

  • Counseling sessions. Most EAPs offer a set number of free counseling sessions for both employees and their family members. Make sure employees know about this valuable benefit. Many counselors now conduct meetings virtually, making it even easier to get help.
  • Mindfulness, meditation, and sleep apps. Well-being programs have these resources baked into their platform. You can also sign up for services through well-known providers.
  • Stress management and resilience training. Whether you use resources from your well-being program provider or widely available LinkedIn courses, giving employees the skills to reduce stress and increase resilience can help ward off burnout.
  • Well-being webinars. Offer regular sessions on timely topics, like ways to get in more movement throughout the day, how certain foods affect your mood, and good sleep hygiene.
  • Mental health podcasts. These cover a range of topics employees can listen to on their own time.

 

Flexible work benefits.

  • Flexibility in working hours. As long as they continue to meet deadlines, allow employees to work when they’re most productive—even if that doesn’t fall into a typical 9 to 5 workday.
  • Four-day workweeks. This concept is gaining traction. Many departments—and even entire companies—are testing four-day workweeks within their organizations. The results so far seem to be resoundingly positive in terms of productivity, engagement, and employee happiness.
  • Meeting-free Fridays. No meetings mean uninterrupted stretches of focus time, something people are sorely missing with endless Zoom meetings.
  • Updated leave policies. Take a hard look at your family leave, sick leave, and bereavement policies to make sure they reflect our current moment. Many organizations are formally adding “mental health days” to their paid time off policies.

 

Financial wellness.

  • Education. Offer mini-courses on personal finance basics like budgeting, saving, and paying down debt. EAPs offer a ton of helpful content on their websites. Or, for more personalized financial wellness support, consider inviting a financial counselor or coach to speak with employees one-on-one.
  • Tools. If you don’t have a financial wellness provider, point employees to online tools and calculators that can help them compute a mortgage, save for college, or plan for retirement.
  • Benefits. Make sure employees are contributing to your 401(k) program up to the company match. Also, remind employees about Health Savings Accounts, which allow them to save for medical expenses in retirement tax-free.

 

Social connections.

Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) continue to be a great forum for employees to come together, share common experiences, and learn from one another. Other creative ways to keep up social connections with colleagues—whether in-person or virtual—include:

  • Trivia nights
  • Talent contests
  • Art or craft exhibitions
  • Potluck picnics or happy hours in outdoor settings
  • Group volunteer activities

 

Fitness.

  • Online fitness memberships. Almost every form of exercise now has an online component—from cardio to yoga to strength training and everything in between.
  • Personal training. Offer discounts on virtual or in-person sessions with a personal trainer.
  • Corporate-sponsored in-person and virtual fitness classes. Companies are now scheduling classes as meetings during the workday—not just during lunch or after work—to encourage employees to take a workout break.
  • Fitness equipment reimbursement. It’s an oldie, but a goodie—especially now. Employees will appreciate getting a new set of handheld weights or resistance bands.
  • Walk and talk meetings. Whether at home or in the office, encourage employees to take some meetings while walking outside.

 

Physical health.

  • Nutrition counseling with a Health Coach or dietitian. Health Coaches discuss healthy food options, start weight loss programs, and even talk through behaviors and barriers that can help change the way people think about food.
  • Formal weight loss programs. Check in with your well-being program partner to see if they have a weight loss program they can offer to your employees. For example, at WebMD Health Services, we have a program called Positively Me® that helps participants lose weight while also providing support around nutrition, exercise, mental health, and other components that impact weight.
  • Healthy lunches. Offer more nutritious options at the office, or discounts on healthy meal delivery services.
  • Telehealth. Allow employees to continue this convenient option for routine appointments, including pediatrician appointments.

As we navigate life post-pandemic, what remains certain is that well-being programs have never been more critical. Employees need robust well-being tools and resources to help them continuously adapt, cope, and thrive in this moment. For more ideas to improve wellness in the workplace, visit our website or contact us at connect@webmd.net.

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6 Trends in Well-Being: Our 2021 Predictions (Part 2) https://www.webmdhealthservices.com/blog/6-trends-in-well-being-our-2021-predictions-part-2/ Tue, 15 Dec 2020 09:00:50 +0000 https://www.webmdhealthservices.com/?p=9625 Thanks for checking in for Part 2 of our 2021 well-being trends to watch. As we discussed in Part 1, the pandemic has underscored the importance of well-being and led to a greater acceptance that we need to care for the whole person, not just a few select aspects. In Part 2, we extend the discussion with three more trends about how employers can support caregiving, the need for better work boundaries, and a remote workforce’s physical health.

Trend 4: The invisible work of caregiving will receive the attention it deserves.

Before the pandemic, we understood that caregiving takes a huge toll on caregivers’ mental and physical wellness. We also knew that the majority of caregivers were womentwo in three, to be exact. Research we conducted last fall confirmed that caregiving status had a greater negative effect on women’s physical wellness than men’s, and found that women reported much higher levels of stress and loneliness than men.

So we were encouraged when results of a Northeast Business Group on Health (NEBGH) survey conducted in late 2019 and early 2020 found that 79% of respondents said caregiving would be an increasingly important issue over the next five years. In fact, in 2019, more employers began offering caregiving benefits and resources to help employees take care of young children, elderly parents, ailing spouses or partners, or friends.

Then the pandemic hit.

It now seems we can’t go a day without seeing articles about how the pandemic has magnified the burden and responsibilities of caregiving. As this recent caregiving study by Embracing Carers reports, “American caregivers are undercounted, unheard, struggling and feel all but invisible.”

And the statistics show it:

  • A recent Business Group on Health podcast, “The Case for Honoring Caregivers,” reports that since the pandemic started, 56% of unpaid caregivers are experiencing anxiety or depression (this is 2.5 times the rate of the general population), and caregivers have 10 times the rate of suicidal ideation.
  • The pandemic is causing members of younger generations to become caregivers for the first time and they are suffering. A Blue Cross Blue Shield study found that adjustment disorder and hypertension are 82% more prevalent among millennials who are caregivers than the general population.
  • Female caregivers are leaving the workforce, reducing their work hours, and not taking promotions—which could have long-term economic impacts. The Center for American Progress reports that four times as many women as men dropped out of the labor force in September, roughly 865,000 women compared with 216,000 men.

Women have taken on the lion’s share of extra duties brought on by COVID-19.

According to an article in Employee Benefit News: “Women who work full-time and have a partner are putting in 71.2 hours each week on housework and caregiving, while men are spending 51.5 hours per week on those tasks, according to LeanIn.Org and SurveyMonkey research on how COVID-19 is affecting women.” Women are “doers” and natural multitaskers, so in some ways it’s not surprising. But this “superwoman” tendency is leading so many of us to be stressed, depressed, burned out…it’s no wonder so many women who can afford to have simply opted out.

How will employers respond?

Here’s what we see happening as organizations step up support for caregivers:

Corporate culture will need examining.

Company culture should value caregiving as an important part of life—not something that needs to be “balanced” with work. Organizations will need to:

  • Ensure the culture supports the actual taking of leave, especially for moms.
  • Work to destigmatize those who opt for flexible schedules to accommodate caregiving duties.
  • Value performance and results over process, hours, or “face time” with superiors. This helps caregivers feel they can do their jobs when it works for them.

Benefits will expand.

We predict that caregiving policies and benefits will expand to include:

  • Family-friendly programs like subsidized or onsite childcare and back-up childcare.
  • Greater transition times and work flexibility—like working remotely—to help moms return to work more comfortably and efficiently.
  • The addition of life-stage benefits that support caring for aging parents in addition to children.

Managers will be expected to allow flexible work arrangements.

Managers must have the ability to engage in empathetic, supportive conversations with their staff, especially when it comes to having difficult conversations about work flexibility. And remember, a flex schedule that works for one employee may not work for another. It’s up to leadership to listen to their team members and work together to devise a mutually agreeable solution that supports their individual work and caregiving needs.

As we’ve said before, the pandemic has shed light on areas of well-being where support has been lacking. Caregiving is a big one—and it’s especially important to younger generations coming into the workforce. So take the opportunity to examine your offerings. Companies who do will certainly reap the benefits—because even once life has returned to normal, the challenges of caregiving will remain.

Trend 5: Employers will need to reinforce boundaries to protect employee well-being.

Worker productivity has skyrocketed since the pandemic began. According to a September survey by The Conference Board of 330 HR executives primarily from large US companies, almost half (47%) believe that productivity has increased for their workforce since the COVID-19 outbreak, compared to only 23% in their April survey. This may be why: the National Bureau of Economic Research calculates that the pandemic workday is 48.5 minutes longer for telecommuters; the number of meetings has increased by 13%; and people sent 1.4 more emails per day to their colleagues.

Truthfully, this “always-on” mentality is not new. Because of our smartphones, we’re able to conduct work anytime, anyplace, so it can be nearly impossible to set clear boundaries. Layer in that most of us are working from home, and you have a situation where you are likely never fully not working.

Not surprisingly, this increased productivity comes at the cost of employee well-being.

Companies surveyed by The Conference Board report that their employees are suffering more burnouts (42%), decreased work-life balance (46%), and more mental health problems (40%). Organizations also reported the erosion of both engagement and morale (31%), as well as high levels of personal well-being (35%).

So, how do we see employers responding?

Here’s what we predict will happen in the workplace:

  • Employees will be encouraged to set aside time for themselves each day. Managers can lead by example by blocking time for self-care on their own calendars. WebMD Health Services managers have been great about encouraging staff to take a break during the day to walk, meditate, or exercise.
  • Wellness challenges that inspire employees—and give them permission—to step away from their desks and move throughout the day will emerge.
  • Organizations may have to send out reminders to shut down at a reasonable hour and schedule “quiet periods” when employees should refrain from sending or replying to emails.
  • Vacation policies will be reevaluated to encourage R&R. We may also see more corporate-wide shutdowns before or after holidays to allow employees to really unwind.
  • Benefits to decrease stress and increase resilience will continue to be popular.

Actions like these will help boost corporate morale during this challenging time. And, of course, because of the link between a healthy mind and body, you will see a return on your investment in the form of a healthier, more engaged, and productive workforce.

Trend 6: Employers will have to get creative to sustain the physical health of a remote workforce.

Even though the focus on mental health is front and center right now, employers still need to be tuned into their workforce’s physical health and safety. Before the pandemic, corporate well-being was associated with in-office perks like gyms, group exercise classes, healthy food, walking treadmills, massages, and more. When the world pivoted to remote work for those who could, those perks suddenly disappeared.

Research conducted during the pandemic supports the fact that employees still want their employers to offer some sort of in-home access to fitness. According to a survey from Class Pass, a wellness class membership provider, 70% of global professionals rank fitness benefits as the most valuable benefit outside of healthcare and are the second-highest benefit requested by employees. Our research also shows that at-home fitness benefits are among the most highly used corporate well-being benefits.

The challenge is creating a well-being culture that supports the incorporation of fitness into the workday. Most employees view staying in shape as something we either do before or after work. A select few companies have a culture that encourages lunchtime fitness, but still, there is a stigma around doing something for “you” when you’re technically on the clock.

We predict the pandemic will play a role in changing that.

Without a commute and an office to walk around, employees don’t have as much opportunity to move, so it’s incumbent on employers to actively encourage physical activity during the workday.

  • Leaders can help by modeling healthy behaviors themselves, such as holding walking meetings or blocking fitness time on their own calendars.
  • Reimbursement for at-home fitness equipment and virtual fitness classes will continue to be popular–even when the pandemic is over.
  • Wellness challenges—like our steps challenge, The Invitational—will continue to be popular as a way for employees to keep moving and also stay socially connected.

Here at WebMD Health Services, I’m proud of our efforts to increase physical activity during this time. At the beginning of the pandemic, we started streaming fitness videos led by our health coaches and scheduled them on employees’ calendars like regular meetings. This sent a strong signal that it was OK to devote time to fitness. We also recorded them so employees who couldn’t make it could access the workout later on.

Recognizing that so many of our employees’ children were home, we made a point to include them in our workouts, too. We created all sorts of virtual programming for clients—from parenting coffee chats to healthy cooking demos to walk-and-talk coaching sessions. We also made sure that employees knew that turning on cameras during meetings was optional once Zoom fatigue began to set in.

All of these efforts have been incredibly well-received! We encourage all employers to think through how they can continue to support a culture of physical wellness even though we can’t fall back on the usual perks. We just can’t say it enough—supporting employees’ ability to stay mentally and physically well during this period—and beyond—makes smart business sense.

To sum up: well-being is more essential than ever.

Across all ages and generations, it’s become increasingly clear that employees want employers to provide support for mental and physical health. Younger generations in particular expect more from their employers regarding benefits, including programs for caregiving and social connectedness. They also want their employers to be inclusive, employ a diverse workforce, and support the causes they care about.

Employers will have to focus on delivering well-being services to a mostly remote and distributed workforce in the near term. As we move past the pandemic, we’ll see a continued emphasis on meeting employees’ well-being needs where they are—whether they’ve migrated back to the office or have opted to stay home indefinitely.

How employers respond to their employees’ needs right now—and how they develop plans to care for their well-being in the future—will have a significant impact on employees and their perception of an employer. If organizations don’t pivot to offer the support their team members need, we predict that their talent pools will find a different employer who will give them the programs they’re looking for.

We hope that you’ve enjoyed reading about our well-being predictions for 2021. If there’s one thing to take away from this discussion, it’s that well-being is more essential than ever.

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6 Trends in Well-Being: Our 2021 Predictions (Part 1) https://www.webmdhealthservices.com/blog/6-trends-in-well-being-our-2021-predictions-part-1/ Tue, 08 Dec 2020 19:02:48 +0000 https://www.webmdhealthservices.com/?p=9597

It’s that time of year when we compile our annual list of 2021 trends to watch for in the well-being industry. One thing is for sure—the pandemic has reinforced just how important well-being is for employers, health plans, and the populations they serve. In this two-part blog, I’ll share my thoughts on how well-being programs will continue to evolve during this unprecedented time in our lives.

Did I think we’d still be in the midst of a pandemic as I sat down to write this annual blog? Certainly not. Yet, here we are. But if we can be grateful for one thing, it’s the greater acceptance that caring for populations must go beyond simply providing health benefits. We have been saying for a while now that we need to provide support for all five dimensions of well-being—physical, mental, social, clinical, and financial. The pandemic has underscored this ten-fold.

First, my macro trend prediction.

Over the past nine months, the lines between work and home have become increasingly blurred—often quite literally, as parents juggled work and school Zoom meetings and worried about the health of older loved ones in our lives. Sadly, this meant way too many women decided—or were forced—to exit the workforce. Many struggled with mental health and how to stay balanced and focused when suddenly the home became the workplace; or, for essential workers, when work became a potentially dangerous place to be.

With everything laid bare, organizations began to understand, in real-time, that you can’t truly separate the person from the job—instead, you must put policies and benefits in place to support the whole worker. And so, we are starting to see well-being viewed as much more than a “program” or “lifestyle benefit,” and more a part of the very fiber of running a company with engaged employees.

So that is my macro trend for the year—that well-being programs will continue to evolve and grow not only to meet this moment, but also in the future as we (hopefully) apply the lessons we’ve learned from this year.

But, without further ado, here are our top predictions for 2021. Some appeared on last year’s list, but bear repeating as they are now more important than ever. And, we are feeling so passionate about these trends that we’re splitting them into two parts. Enjoy Part 1 and stay tuned for Part 2 next week!

Trend 1: Raising the bar on offering mental and emotional support for employees.

As a 2014 article in Employee Benefit News states, we need to start treating mental health just as we do physical health. For example, if a person is diagnosed with diabetes, it doesn’t mean she is diabetes. Yet when we diagnose someone with depression, we say she “is depressed.” I include this because the article was written in 2014, and yet six and a half years later, we are still dealing with the stigma of mental health!

But that is changing, spurred on by the acute needs of the pandemic. As the Kaiser Family Foundation reported in July 2020, more than 1 in 3 U.S. adults had experienced conditions like anxiety and depression since the pandemic started. In our own recent study, 77% of respondents said the pandemic has had a negative impact on their well-being.

It’s also become clear that employees want their employers to provide support for mental health.

In our study, 70% of respondents said employers should be offering well-being programs for mental and emotional health with access to coaches or services that can help manage the symptoms of anxiety, depression, and stress. We should also mention that mental wellness affects physical wellness and vice-versa, so we can’t ignore its repercussions.

Younger generations (Gen Z and millennials) are experiencing higher levels of adverse mental health during COVID-19 than older generations (Gen X and baby boomers). With more than 50% of the workforce now comprised of millennials and Gen Z workers, this is something employers can no longer sweep under the rug.

Here are our predictions for mental health in the workplace:

  • Employees need easy and fast access to mental health solutions. Virtual mental health visits are here to stay.
  • Employers will have to look for ways to foster meaningful connections among colleagues so that they feel seen and supported. Leaders will need training in how to cultivate feelings of trust to build stronger interpersonal ties. And new hire onboarding will have to create a sense of belonging even though we are working virtually.
  • Workplaces will offer training that gives employees the ability to respond compassionately to colleagues who are suffering from mental health concerns.
  • Benefits teams will design thoughtful policies and programs that acknowledge that mental health concerns are a natural part of life. Mental health awareness will be embedded in the company culture with frequent communication and education.
  • Organizations will no longer delegate mental health entirely to HR. Tackling this issue requires passionate and persistent leadership and executive involvement, from CEOs through to front-line managers.

Loneliness, grief, and emotional and mental health may be invisible in the workplace, but they are real and they are happening. And they must be acknowledged and supported.

Trend 2: Equity, diversity and inclusion must be strategic priorities.

In 2020, the convergence of COVID-19, racial injustice, and the pandemic’s economic impact on women and minorities has elevated the focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace. Organizations are taking a hard look at hiring and promotion practices and actively seeking input on how they can better accommodate a diverse employee population’s needs. And this makes good business sense. We know from countless studies that diverse, inclusive organizations perform better, attract greater talent, and positively impact employee health and well-being.

We need to support the health of these diverse, inclusive populations.

We have long maintained that a one-size-fits-all approach to well-being doesn’t work. And so, it serves to reason that we cannot deliver universal well-being solutions to an increasingly diverse employee population. As a recent Mercer analysis states, “It’s no good employing a diverse workforce if the wellbeing strategy doesn’t allow everyone to thrive.”

Here are the factors we predict organizations will (and should) consider as they seek to reflect diversity and inclusion in their well-being programs:

Gender.

Women continue to shoulder the majority of caregiving duties, and the pandemic has made the burden even greater. Women’s financial wellness has also taken a hit, with layoffs in industries predominantly staffed by females (service, hospitality). Think caregiving programs, more parental leave, and financial wellness education and programs targeted to women.

Race.

Not only are Black and Latinx Americans at increased risk of contracting COVID-19 and dying from it, but there are also many medical conditions—like heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes—that are known to disproportionately affect people of color. This will necessitate targeted interventions for specific population groups.

Sexual and gender identity.

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT) employees often have different health needs than their heterosexual peers. They also suffer from social and structural inequities that can affect mental health—and physical health as a result. We predict an increase in specific health and well-being benefits targeted to this community.

Generational differences.

For the first time in history, four generations of employees make up the workplace. And, the generation that now makes up 50% of the workforce—millennials—is considered the loneliest. Their Gen Z peers are reporting the greatest toll on mental and physical health due to the pandemic. Generational diversity naturally brings varying perspectives, attitudes, and motivations that need to influence the design of a well-being program—especially during a pandemic. And our study revealed that millennials and Gen Z expect more from their employers.

Why does all this matter? As this Mercer study states regarding the dimensions of well-being: “Employers who want to be truly diverse and enable all their people to thrive need to consider the extent to which individuals from certain groups are being empowered to ‘live’ the dimensions or not.”

Trend 3: Employee health and community health are connected.

Just as we have come to understand that we cannot completely separate the person from the job, there is growing agreement that employees’ health cannot be separated from the communities and environment in which they live and work.

These are known as social determinants of health (SDOH), or the conditions that shape and influence employee experiences: where they are born, grow, play, learn, work, and pray. Examples of SDOH include cultural norms; social support; education level; economic stability; the physical attributes of a community including air quality and access to clean drinking water; access to supermarkets and healthy food; reliable transportation; affordable, adequate, and stable housing; and good jobs that pay a livable wage. These factors have a profound impact on morbidity, mortality, and quality of life.

Why should employers pay attention?

Because the SDOH, in turn, have implications for employee productivity and performance at work. As the Health Enhancement Research Organization (HERO) discusses in a 2019 whitepaper, “To improve employee well-being and sustain high-value business performance, employers must not only focus on individual behavior change in the physical well-being dimension. They must also remember that well-being is generated, sustained and diminished in the communities where people live, and by the relationships in their lives.”

Makes good sense, right? Now, layer on COVID-19—which has profoundly impacted all of our lives, but has disproportionately affected people of color, women, poor communities, younger generations, those without access to good medical care or health insurance, and those already suffering from underlying conditions like diabetes and obesity.

All of this adds up to one thing: employers need to pay attention to what’s happening to employees outside of the workplace. Here’s what we see on the horizon:

  • Employers will start to acknowledge that for an employee population to be truly healthy, some of the “well-being work” may need to be done at the workplace (post-pandemic, of course) because the social determinants of their lives don’t allow for it outside of work. This could include a renewed focus on healthy meals in the cafeteria, access to walking trails, calendars blocked for an exercise class at lunch, or designated meditation spaces.
  • There will be a greater push to ensure that employees know what their health and well-being benefits are and how to use them. Currently, we see that younger generations are especially uninformed when it comes to benefits. Stepped-up communication and eliminating any barriers to access (like cumbersome EAPs) will be critical.
  • Employers will listen and connect with employees about the aspects of their lives that prevent them from bringing their whole selves to work. Employers will also work on identifying the services and programs that would be most valuable to their populations.
  • Recognizing that finances can be a massive drag on mental health, financial wellness benefits like repayment programs for student loan debt, workshops for retirement savings and life insurance, and general budgeting tools will be important to offer.
  • Employers will play a role in connecting employees with local resources to address some of the SDOH that impact work and life, such as transportation resources for those who struggle to get to and from work and health appointments.

This opportunity to peel back the layers of what’s happening in people’s lives and how that impacts their productivity is one of the so-called “silver linings” of this pandemic. Let’s hope that organizations continue to pay it the attention it deserves long after we’ve said goodbye to COVID-19.

To sum up our first three trends: well-being programs are critical, perhaps more than they were before. Organizations’ well-being programs that holistically consider employees’ mental and physical needs (both in and out of work), are responsive to diverse populations, and are adaptable to the current working environment will come out on top. Check back in next week for Part 2 of my 2021 well-being predictions!

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Future Trends: The Shape of Employee Well-Being Programs https://www.webmdhealthservices.com/blog/future-trends-the-shape-of-employee-well-being-programs/ Tue, 04 Aug 2020 08:11:01 +0000 https://www.webmdhealthservices.com/?p=9351 The Business Group on Health recently released two studies that shed light on how employers intend to shape their well-being programs, as well as what employees would like to see in their workplace well-being offerings. While the studies themselves were conducted prior to the pandemic, the insights they reveal are perhaps even more important as we consider how our public health crisis will impact employee physical and emotional wellness over the next year.

In January and February of this year, Business Group on Health (BGH) partnered with Fidelity Investments and Alight Solutions to conduct two well-being surveys:

  • The BGH/Fidelity study surveyed 152 employers in a variety of industries of different sizes.1
  • The BGH/Alight survey canvassed 2,500 employees from a broad sampling of companies.2

Their findings echo some of the same themes from our own employee well-being survey, How Well-Being Programs Are Failing Millennials and Women, conducted in the fall of 2019.

Here are some highlights.

Employee well-being impacts the bottom line.

One of the biggest takeaways from the BGH/Fidelity survey is the growing acknowledgment from large employers that employee well-being affects the bottom line.

  • 85% see the connection between the importance of well-being and their overall business strategy.
  • 73% view improving engagement as a critical driver of their well-being programs (up from 59% in 2019).

Interestingly, the BGH/Alight study found that employees were three times more likely to be positive about their well-being if they were having a good employee experience. So, it’s clear that focusing on well-being cuts both ways in terms of being healthier and more engaged.

Mental health offerings and employee usage are increasing.

Mental health offerings continue to be a critical component of benefits packages. This is not surprising given the prevalence of mental health concerns today. The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) estimates that 1 in 5 U.S. adults experience mental illness each year—a number that’s likely to be much higher now, given the circumstances created by the pandemic.

Some revealing statistics:

  • 95% of employers reported that emotional or mental health benefits are included in their benefits offerings—the remaining 5% are considering adding them. (BGH/Fidelity)
  • 41% of respondents sought mental/emotional health counseling in 2019—up 16 points from the previous year. (BGH/Alight)
  • 75% report that they would use phone virtual or online visits with mental health professionals—an increase of 19 points versus last year. (BGH/Alight)
  • The availability of teletherapy increased by 50% from 2019 to 2020. (BGH/Fidelity)

The studies also showed significant interest in employees using the following services offered by their employer through a third party:

  • Stress management programs
  • Emotional/mental health apps
  • Onsite mindfulness/meditation
  • Onsite services with a mental health professional

WebMD Health Services has kept pace with the desire for more mental health offerings. We recently partnered with Beyond Well Solutions to give WebMD ONE participants access to an on-demand library of private, custom podcasts on a range of mental health topics. Read more on Beyond Well Solutions here.

Financial wellness continues to weigh on employees.

Respondents noted financial concerns as a significant stressor in their lives. In fact, when BGH/Alight asked about their top five well-being priorities, “reducing current debt” and “not living beyond my means or staying within a budget” ranked two and three on the list.

Financial concerns differ by generation, as noted by our study as well. In the BGH/Alight study, Gen Z, Emerging Millennials, Established Millennials, and Gen Xers ranked “reducing current debt” as their top overall well-being priority—outweighing any physical concerns like eating healthy or reducing or managing stress.

We were struck by the BGH/Alight finding that 42% of respondents strongly agree or agree with the statement: “My level of debt is ruining the quality of my life.”

  • 84% percent of respondents reported having non-mortgage debt (up from 73% in 2017).
  • 29% have student loan debt (up 3 points from 2017).
  • Not surprisingly, Gen Zers and millennials have the most student loan debt (39%) and indicate that it prevents them from saving for the future.

WebMD is responding to the increased demand for financial wellness resources for its own users through our partnership with iGrad’s EnrichTM program, which provides access to resources to improve financial wellness.

Stress, burnout, and sleep: A trifecta of worries.

The BGH/Alight study explored the issues of stress, burnout, and sleep as they affect employee well-being. The study found that:

  • 20% of Gen Zers and 25% of Emerging Millennials report high levels of stress, versus 16% of Established Millennials and 13% of Gen Xers.
  • 43% of those surveyed were experiencing symptoms of burnout, such as physical or emotional exhaustion, a sense of futility, or intense anxiety toward work.
  • 48% of millennials felt that sleep quality significantly impacted their ability to contribute fully day-to-day … and 78% of all employees would value employer-provided sleep improvement programs.

These findings corroborate our 2019 study, which found that women and millennials experience higher stress levels and feelings of loneliness than men and members of other generations. The BGH/Alight study found that 69% of respondents would use a workplace stress management program to build resilience. Our study similarly found that millennials, in particular, are more apt to take advantage of workplace stress management offerings.

Some good news about social connectedness.

When asked how they feel about their social wellness, the BGH/Alight study showed a 10-point improvement, with 45% responding they felt good about their social well-being versus 35% in 2018.

The BGH/Alight study also found that 22% of workers often feel lonely or isolated. This is in contrast with our study last fall, in which 56% of women and 44% of men said they “sometimes or always feel lonely or isolated.” It will be interesting to see how the pandemic and its social distancing and working from home aspects affect feelings of loneliness in the next year.

As we discussed in our WebMD study, creating more opportunities to socialize at work, especially through a common purpose like volunteering, is one way to combat loneliness and increase social connectedness. The BGH/Alight study corroborated these findings, with 68% of employers surveyed responding that they offer—or are considering offering—PTO to allow employees to volunteer.

The prevalence of incentives.

Using incentives to drive participation in well-being programs is still prominent, but trending downward.

  • The BGH/Fidelity survey found that 78% of employers offer financial incentives for employees, down from 82% the prior year.
  • The same study also found that the majority of incentives are still awarded for traditional physical wellness initiatives, like completing Health Assessments or biometric screenings. However, the BGH/Fidelity study noted that 49% of employers offered incentives for participating in a sleep improvement program.
  • Companies awarded just 9% of incentives for emotional wellness and 6% for financial wellness, which might be an area for change given the increased focus on mental and financial health today.

Although incentives are an important piece to motivating people to get or stay engaged, you don’t want your well-being program to rely on incentives alone. If your program is personalized to help each individual and adds true value to their life, it should be engaging enough to drive real behavior change without incentives tied to every activity. Learn more about how incentives can support your well-being program in our e-book, 7 Steps to Smart Incentive Design.

As our own study and the two BGH studies show, mental health and financial wellness have become more mainstream, critical components of employers’ well-being strategies. Most employers now acknowledge that these issues can affect both employee productivity and engagement. Thankfully, the stigma of attending to these needs in the workplace is starting to diminish—and workers are increasingly eager to take advantage of them. No doubt, the pandemic will increase the need for employers to focus on these issues even more.

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