Protecting the wellbeing of staff has become essential for not just looking after your people but also for having a hugely positive impact on the success of the business. However, progress has slowed to a crawl and the wellbeing of employees has become just another task to tick off the list.
Simply, employee wellbeing programmes are failing.
Having worked with the biggest organisations on their wellbeing programmes, I’ve noticed a clear trend. They’re too prescriptive and too focused on what they offer, rather than why they should offer such initiatives. The what inevitably becomes ‘things’ – gym discounts or memberships, fruit bowls in kitchens, pizza Fridays – while the why – providing real support for real people with a variety of wants and needs – is neglected. Employee wellness programmes are too static and fail to adapt to individual employees’ wellness requirements, particularly their changing needs depending on their current stage of life.
Ultimately, the employee is losing out. It’s a vicious cycle, and it’s critical that we rethink employee wellbeing and break “the happiness illusion”. HR teams must stop rolling out new benefits and perks without any real thought for how employees will actually physically engage with them in day-to-day life.
So, how do HR leaders break this cycle? Start with the why. If the true goal is to ensure employees feel supported and that they’re not merely surviving but thriving, this will enable businesses to focus more clearly on what the strategy should be. This is how HR teams can transform employee wellness programmes and have a huge far-reaching benefit.
Find out how Heka is doing employee wellness programmes properly, and begin transforming your workplace benefits today.