The Great Well-being Shift
According to the State of the Global Workplace Report for 2023 from Gallup, 59% of employees surveyed are “quiet quitting” indicating these employees are more likely to feel stressed out or burnt out. 18% of employees are “loud quitting” meaning they are actively disengaged and often taking action that harms the organization. This leaves only 23% of individuals who responded “thriving at work” indicating they are fully engaged and feel connected to their organization and their team.
When asked, 85% of employees who were considered to be “quiet quitting” expressed they knew what they would change about their workplace to make it better. 41% indicated they would change engagement or culture with several expressing there wasn’t a sense of belonging, they didn’t feel respected, they weren’t receiving recognition, and their leaders were unapproachable. 28% identified pay and benefits needed to be updated stating that pay is simply not enough, they need assistance with gas expenses, and needed help paying for childcare. Lastly, 16% cited well-being pointing out that companies aren’t taking workers’ health and life seriously. Employees feel rushed to eat during lunch breaks, if they receive a break at all. It should be noted that employees also don’t feel their time is valued as last minute changes to shifts were made, and overtime was extensive. The study concluded that addressing well-being concerns and improving engagement should be a top priority for business leaders.
While many employers have identified that they are looking to enhance their benefits offering in 2024, employees are expressing frustration that they are not aware of what benefits are currently offered or they do not understand how to use the benefits in which they are enrolled. Many employers are looking to add additional mental health benefits to address the increased burn out and level of stress, even though employees are currently not utilizing the benefits already in place. The 2023 UKG Global Survey found that 91% of C-level executives believe their HR department is a good resource, only 64% of employees agree, and only 54% have actually used the resources available to them. 35% of employees indicated they do not think their direct manager recognizes the impact they have on their mental well-being. Employees indicated they would like their company (70%) and managers (68%) to do more to support their mental health. Employees are asking for more time off but a recent Pew Research Center Survey found that 40% of employees are not using the time off allotted to them.
There is a large disconnect between what employers are providing and what resources employees know are available to them. Extremely expensive benefit packages offered by many companies have become a checkbox to round out their total rewards package they advertise to their employees, however employees are indicating they do not feel the value of these benefits.
In coming years we will see a shift in valuing benefit packages by what is offered to the impact made and the perceived value of total rewards by the employee. Employees who are not well cannot provide a company with prolonged, sustainable service, and will eventually burn out or switch to a different company, costing the employer even more. Employers who do not shift their mindset to encourage holistic well-being, with leaders who outwardly exhibit the importance of their own wellness, and that of their team’s, cannot thrive in the years to come. It is not enough to have great benefits in place. Employees have to know why they benefit them, how to use them, and that it is okay to use them.
It’s critical that employers understand that a holistic well-being program must include physical, mental, financial, social, and emotional resources. A person who is not physically well, is likely not mentally well. A person who is not well socially, is likely not well emotionally and likely struggling mentally. Each wellness pillar impacts the other, and when they aren’t in balance, the employee will be less productive and less engaged in the work they are doing.
Centurion At Work is equipped to review your company’s full well-being program from vendor to employee to leader and identify areas of improvement to enable your employees (and your leaders) to bring their best selves to work. Employees who believe their company cares for them and their families, care for the company they work for and are more likely to feel valued, be more productive, and support the future of the company.
Contact Us today to learn more about how we can help! Be well!
