HR Morning
Benefits play a key role in attracting and retaining employees. But that statement has never been truer than now. While there are few positives about living through a pandemic, one would be the spotlight placed on employees’ well-being and wellness strategies employers can use to help them stay physically and mentally fit.
For sure, employees have more power in the Great Resignation era, but now that they’re getting what they need to stay happy and healthy, employers are getting employees ready to work with passion and zest.
Employer support is happening in the areas of increased prioritizing employee assistance programs (EAPs), expanded wellness benefits and greater attention to work/life balance. That’s according to Ragan’s 2022 Communications Benchmark Report that surveyed close to 1,000 communicators across industries on opportunities and changes.
While it shouldn’t surprise you that providing well-being support was a huge focus in 2021 for employers, it may be a little surprising that only 67% said they increased it. Twenty percent said they didn’t increase it and 13% didn’t know. You would think with the tight race for talent nearly every employer would have upped their well-being support at least a little.
The main way employers did increase their support was:
For employers who haven’t jumped on the bandwagon yet, it’s time to pack your bags and hitch a ride because it’s not going anywhere. Now that employees have had a taste of what real wellness and a more balanced work/life feels like, they’re not going to give it up.
So what trends are getting the thumbs up from employers for 2022?
They would be mental health (90%), telemedicine (80%), stress management and resilience (76%), mindfulness and medication (71%), and COVID-19 vaccinations (57%). Notice how many of them are tied to mental well-being.
Which trends are on the out? Well, on-site fitness classes (63%) for one. It’s easy to see why since many employers are still virtual or hybrid. If employers are offering fitness classes their typically virtual now. Other trends employers aren’t investing in any more are health fairs (59%), free healthy food/stocked kitchens (54%), biometric screenings (50%) and on-site clinics (35%).
As you can see, employers are moving away from benefits that require one-on-one interactions or being in the office. They’re finding new and different ways to provide these same wellness goals, but remotely. And often they’re more affordable.
Here are some of the 25 wellness strategies other organizations have implemented from Wellable Labs’ 2022 Employee Wellness Industry Trends Report.
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HRMorning, part of the SuccessFuel Network, provides the latest HR and employment law news for HR professionals in the trenches of small-to-medium-sized businesses. Rather than simply regurgitating the day’s headlines, HRMorning delivers actionable insights, helping HR execs understand what HR trends mean to their business.
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