Whether you are back working in the office full-time, working in a hybrid model, or still working entirely from home, there is no doubt about the effects of the pandemic on employee wellness. In fact, half of Canadians have reported worsening mental health, with one in ten sharing it has worsened "a lot"1.
So what can employers do to help with this crisis? Here are two ways to get employees engaged in their wellness that do not require a significant investment of time or money.
1. Wellness Challenges
Wellness challenges are a great way to get employees involved by sparking some friendly competition. By sharing a new challenge via email each workday, employees can participate regardless of whether they are working in person or remotely. Challenges may vary in level of difficulty but can consist of tasks such as drinking one liter of water throughout the day or taking a ten-minute break to meditate or go outside. By having employees share the completion of these challenges in a team leaderboard, it can encourage peer competition. In the daily email containing the challenge, education on the importance of completing the task could also be included to further promote wellness.
2. Lunch and Learn Seminars
If you are not sure a challenge is right for your team but still want to provide education around wellness, lunch and learn seminars could be a better fit. Utilizing a service that provides virtual webinars is a straightforward way to enhance employee knowledge around their health. If you are looking to ease into the process and simply gauge employee interest in this type of program, a single, one-off webinar about a topic that appeals to them may be a good option. On the other hand, if you would like a more long-term commitment, try a webinar series that takes place over a few months and dives deeper into the subject matter.
Additional Resources
To learn more about addressing mental health and the COVID-19 pandemic, see the below resources:
Simply Benefits x HEAL Partnership
Healthy Eating and Living (HEAL) is a health and wellness company focused on providing corporate wellness programs that help improve the overall well-being of employees. They allow employers to take a hands-off approach at proactively addressing the growing mental health challenges, including stress, anxiety, and depression. Simply Benefits members have access to HEAL Wellness Challenge and Lunch and Learn Webinar programs at a discounted rate.
1 Angus Reid Institute. (2020). Worry, gratitude & boredom: As COVID-19 affects mental, financial health, who
fares better; who is worse? Retrieved from: http://angusreid.org/covid19-mental-health/.