3 Incredible Stories: How Your Health and Wellness Initiatives Impact Employees

December 7, 2022

Not every employee has the time, luxury, or courage they need to address their health and wellness challenges. The reasons could be many, from the lack of support at home to no means of access to the right kind of attention they need.

At the workplace, though, it may be easier for employees to seek help, especially when help is readily available through professionals, and there is a set process in place that revolves around the health of the employee at all times.

So how does this effort shown by an employer affect the lives of employees? Does this effort have an effect on performance and productivity too? Is this effect positive or negative? After all, every initiative, no matter how small, requires employees to spend time away from their work desks!

To bring to you a well-rounded opinion that is not just based on our team’s insights alone, we bring to you a post that addresses this all-important topic of how your health and wellness initiatives are impacting employees through three beautiful workplace stories that help us drive home our point.

The SynergyIQ Story: When an Hour of Fun does a Lot More than You Think!

Michelle Holland, Executive Director at SynergyIQ, shares quite a unique solution that may seem like only a fun one but evidently has far-reaching positive consequences. “Each and every week, we make time to have some fun together at SynergyIQ. It’s called our hour of silly, and it’s a non-negotiable for us. Even on our busiest days!” So doesn’t this have an impact on productivity? An hour sure sounds like a lot when you are pursuing targets that only seem to be further away every time you look up. “Sure, we lose a bit of productivity during the hour of silly, but we make up for that in the hours that follow,” shares Michelle. So what does this hour (which is beginning to sound even more interesting with each passing minute) include for employees?

In terms of some of the things we’ve done during that hour of silly, we’ve had dogs visit the office (no explanation needed!), we play games which help us understand each other’s HBDI thinking styles, team quizzes and more. Some activities are more light-hearted, others are more about getting to know each other.

Michelle Holland
Executive Director at SynergyIQ

“In terms of some of the things we’ve done during that hour of silly, we’ve had dogs visit the office (no explanation needed!), we play games which help us understand each other’s HBDI thinking styles, team quizzes and more. Some activities are more light-hearted, others are more about getting to know each other,” she says.

And has there been any notable impact on employees? Well, of course participating in such a fun-filled hour sounds like a great experience but does it have any real impact on the ground? “Attendance in the office increases on these days, as does output afterwards. Happier employees are healthier and more engaged,” reveals Michelle, and we have to agree.

“So if you’re not having any fun at work, we suggest you start an hour of silly of your own,” advises Michelle, and going by the experience she shares, there’s every reason for you to carve out your own ‘hour of silly’ at the workplace too. Hey, don’t you forget that health and wellness is also about being playful!

The mtime Story: Where Moncierge Well-being Surpasses Client and Business

At mtime, the employee is at the top of every pyramid, and that’s how this unique business operates. Rebecca Kraut reveals how they go one step ahead to protect the interests of their employees and show them they care for their own.

“We run what we call ‘culture of care’ at our business. This is specifically designed to support our employees (moncierges, our name for our in-home carers) and one of the most controversial initiatives we have is taking feedback from our employees on our clients; and letting them rate the experience of working with the family!” reveals Rebecca.

But why would this be controversial? After all, although not prevalent, employers seeking employee feedback on clients isn’t a practice that’s unheard of. What Rebecca reveals next throws some light on this.

“The feedback our employees provide can, at times, lead to us firing the clients because we don’t compromise on the rules of culture of care for our employees and the customer is not always right!”

Does that sound like something your business would do? If it does, take a bow! Because we all know that very few businesses out there would go as far as firing clients only to protect their employees. But that’s Rebecca and the rest of the mtimes team manage to do, and the outcome of this commitment towards employee well-being is evident.

While this take was all things fun, there is another angle to paying attention to the mental health of employees. For, at times, these interactions can help peers or leaders uncover tragic personal lows some of your employees may be experiencing in their lives.

Marty Spargo, owner of Reize Club, has one such highly impactful story to share.

5 Easy Health and Wellness Solutions for Your Remote Team

December 7, 2022

Health and wellness is no longer an optional component at the workplace of today, and whether your team is working in the office or remotely, your organization’s commitment to their well-being remains constant. While relaying this commitment and following up on it is a challenge even in an office setting, actionable pursuit becomes even more difficult in a remote work environment.

But when leaders put their minds to something, they find solutions that work no matter what! And that’s what this article is all about.

Here are five easy and innovative health and wellness solutions these leaders provide for their remote teams:

Invest in Gym Membership Cards as a Benefit
Provide an Easily Accessible Hotline
Have a Clear and Realistic Plan for Tasks and Expected Output
Encourage Team Members to Participate in Wellness Challenges
Vary Meeting Formats and Schedule Meetings With Breaks

Invest in Gym Membership Cards as a Benefit

Remote employees spend a lot of time in one place, often lacking in any real physical exercise. Because they’re right at home all the time, they’re often also more inclined to just lie down and rest after work. That leaves the issue of no physical exercise unresolved.

Offer employees access to gym facilities as a benefit. Gym memberships aren’t cheap, and if the employees get the ability to work out to relieve some stress or just to keep their body and mind healthy, chances are they will take full advantage of it.

Natalia Brzezinska, Marketing & Outreach Manager, PhotoAiD

Thus, the best solution, I think, is to offer employees access to gym facilities as a benefit. Gym memberships aren’t cheap, and if the employees get the ability to work out to relieve some stress or just to keep their body and mind healthy, chances are they will take full advantage of it.

Natalia Brzezinska, Marketing & Outreach Manager, PhotoAiD

Provide an Easily Accessible Hotline

It must be a number that they can call for their health and wellness concerns. This is very important, especially for mental wellness. In these challenging days, employees must have someone to reach. It will be in case of despair, exhaustion, and anxiety. These cases are sensitive and must be dealt with by a professional. Having someone to listen to their woes and worries can be very important.

Mental issues are a reality. These woes and dilemmas can happen to anyone, even to the best people that we know. If there is a venue for them to vent their concerns, it will be the best move that an organization can take.

Laura Martinez, Consultant, PersonalityMax

Have a Clear and Realistic Plan for Tasks and Expected Output

I would argue that remote work increases an organization’s responsibility for employee wellbeing and wellness. After all, remote workers are more likely to feel isolated than their office counterpoints, and it’s easier for red flags to be missed when we don’t work together in person.

Having 30% fewer meetings each week, a high-quality coaching conversation from a leader, and a clear and realistic plan for tasks and expected output would make all of the difference to wellbeing and productivity.

Shauna Moran, Founder, Operate Remote

When organizations approach me with innovative wellness solutions because their team is burnt-out, I always look at the basic foundations that are backed by research as the most frequent contributors to burnout. For example, too many back-to-back meetings, unrealistic timelines, workloads, lack of support for managers, and so many more. Often it’s these foundations that are missing, but these foundations can really be the key to making a shift within cultures and employee wellbeing. For example, having 30% fewer meetings each week, a high-quality coaching conversation from a leader, and a clear and realistic plan for tasks and expected output would make all of the difference to wellbeing and productivity.

Shauna Moran, Founder, Operate Remote

Encourage Team Members to Participate in Wellness Challenges

There are a few easy and innovative health & wellness solutions for a remote team. One solution is to create a wellness library for the team. This can be a collection of books, articles, or even websites that team members can access when they need some inspiration or motivation.

One solution is to create a wellness library for the team. This can be a collection of books, articles, or even websites that team members can access when they need some inspiration or motivation.

Louise Ogilvy, Recruitment Director, Propeller-Tech

In addition, you can also encourage team members to participate in wellness challenges. These can be fun and competitive, and they help to promote healthy habits within the team. By implementing these easy and innovative solutions, you can help your remote team stay healthy and well.

Louise Ogilvy, Recruitment Director, Propeller-Tech

Vary Meeting Formats and Schedule Meetings With Breaks

My tip would be to have no meeting before 10 am on a Monday or after 3 pm on a Friday. Also, meetings are often back to back, so it helps to schedule them to start at 5 past the hour and end 10 minutes to the hour to allow time for a stretch or comfort break.

Krishna Vakharia, Clinical Director, Patient.info

Beyond that, you could mix up the meeting styles – try walking meetings for variety or meetings with videos off to alleviate feelings of anxiety or pressure.

Krishna Vakharia, Clinical Director, Patient.info

Innovative Health and Wellness Solutions Results in Healthy and Productive Remote Teams

Managing a remote team is not an easy task, and even more difficult is engaging them and including them in programs and events that would otherwise be a breeze in an office environment. Thanks to these solutions shared by leaders, as well as an entire list of others that are out there to help organizations create a health-focused and wellness-oriented work environment, engaging even remote employees and contributing to their well-being is a possibility.

Remote work does not tone down an organization’s responsibility for employee well-being. What is your go-to easy and innovative health & wellness solution for a remote team? Do you have a solution you think should absolutely make this list?

Write to us at contribute@HRSpotlight.com and our team will help you share your insights.