As we move closer to the C2S Leadership Month 2022 in March, we have taken a closer look into Health and Wellness. During the COVID-19 pandemic, individuals and companies have had the chance to rethink how we can live better, happier, healthier lives and many companies are opting to support employees’ healthy life choices.
Around 40% of the general population surveyed consider wellness a top priority, and have a driving ambition to live healthier lifestyles and are unable to achieve this due to other commitments and life-pressures. During the pandemic, most of those pressures were removed due to lockdowns. Because of this, people have exercised more since COVID-19 research has since shown – and this trend continues as the pandemic eases.
Supporting Our People with Healthy Life Choices & Wellness
With many opting for better work-life balances, business leaders are finding additional ways to develop these for their teams. Promoting exercise and enhancing positive work relationships is becoming key to employee engagement, according to Your Wellspace, and reduced stress.
Creating a health-inspired culture will incur natural benefits such as: increased productivity, heightened creative thinking, reduced sick leave, and of course a healthier and happier place to work. This, along with other benefits, may help to attract additional talent to help grow and support the business.
Business leaders could support this by offering their teams gym memberships, or encouraging fitness into the office with lunchtime walking, charity runs, sports teams etc, along with other health-related benefits. This unique offering provides the workforce with a ‘third place’ to be, which is neither the office, or home, providing the person with a way of bringing their best self to work.
Flexible Working Arrangements and Hybrid Working
In addition, utilising flexible working arrangements and allowing hybrid working has been shown to have a great positive impact on mental health and wellness. Not to mention, the regroup following the pandemic has seen a rise in employees wishing to remain working from home, and towards hybrid/flexible working arrangements to fit around their revised life-commitments. With this, it has led to what is dubbed as The Great Resignation where employers haven’t supported this request.
Some companies are beginning to recognise and respond to this change and encourage their employees to further develop healthier routines and lifestyles. There is a clear future of hybrid and diverse work routines, which will support this growing trend. How will you support your people in developing healthier lifestyles?
Adapted from articles by Eric Falardeau, John Glynn, and Olga Ostromecka of McKinsey & Company.
