Why HR Leaders Must Make Employee Wellness a Top Priority

The deployment of new technology offers new possibilities for innovation to modern enterprises. Unfortunately, these tools usually impose high levels of disruption for employees. The interruption of established routines and pressure to meet digital transformation targets becomes the perfect petri dish for stressed and overwhelmed employees. Employee wellness is too often a casualty of digital transformation strategies. When employee absenteeism costs $225.8 billion a year, the stakes of poor employee wellness couldn’t be higher. Building a work culture that prioritizes employee health is the only way to keep staff performing at their best. Let’s take a look at the steps HR leaders can take to get the most out of employees.

Dive Deeper: HR’s Essential Role in Driving Digital Transformation Success

1. Implement an effective training and support solution

New technology is a constant source of stress for employees. That’s why it is essential to adopt a solution that simplifies software learning. There are many platforms available that can be used to train users to use unfamiliar and complex software in real-time. Digital learning solutions that provide contextual learning are the most effective option. These tools enable even first-time users to complete any task with ease by deploying real-time navigation guidance and support. When users can do their work while learning a new software, you can mitigate the stresses of digital transformation head-on. 

2. Enable healthy lifestyle choices

A vital component of employee wellness is made up of lifestyle choices. According to the Institute for Health Metrics, poor diet and inadequate physical activity are the two leading causes of health issues in the US. Enterprises should be looking to support healthy lifestyle choices to ensure employees stay healthy. Providing nutritious food options in the office and discounted gym memberships are two of the easiest ways to address physical health concerns. Likewise, creating a quiet space or meditation room can be excellent for reducing stress.

3. Offer standing desks

One of the most common problems that extend to almost all office positions is their sedentary nature. Being inactive and sitting for 8 hours a day or more isn’t good for long-term health. In fact, Epidemiologist Alpa Patel has identified that the death rate of men who sit for six hours or more every day is 20 percent higher and for women, it is up to 40 percent higher. For others, back pain and leg pain accompany sitting for long periods of time. Using desks with adjustable height has been proven to help employees to stay comfortable and increase long term health. When standing desks can range between $100-$450, the cost is well worth the investment.

4. Invite employees to social activities

It is undeniable that the people you work with can have a substantial impact on how much you enjoy your job. Being able to connect with other employees is essential for having a productive working relationship. HR leaders can support this by creating social events and activities that offer an opportunity for staff to communicate outside of a working context. Not all companies have the budget for big parties or outings, but you can eat least encourage teams to go out for happy hour or something of the like. Having the chance to form bonds with co-workers outside of work can help employees to blow off some steam.

5. Reward hard workers

Sometimes employees just want to be recognized for their contributions. For many, an employee’s perceived value to a company has a direct effect on their motivation and feelings of worth.  AttaCoin has revealed that 88% of employees feel that it is important that their employers reward good performance. Implementing a rewards program can be an excellent way to express gratitude for a job well done. Rewards programs don’t necessarily have to be monetary in nature to be effective. In addition to bonuses, calling an employee out for their positive contribution before a meeting starts, or starting some sort of recognition initiative are viable options for encouraging staff to put in the work. Adding a little incentive can help to stop the workplace from being stale and reward people for giving it their all!

High employee wellness builds productivity

As you can see, there are many ways that enterprises can support employees to make healthy lifestyle choices. Companies that are willing to invest in employee wellness programs differentiate themselves from the competition. Just adopting a health-conscious company culture goes a long way towards making staff feel supported adequately.