It’s the understatement of the year to say the health of our employees is more important now than ever before. Whether they’re balancing work with family life at home, or trying to stay both safe and productive at a worksite, the mental stress that the pandemic has placed the employee under is unrivaled.

So it’s important that when we think about supporting the health of staff we do so with a wider lens, such as including mental health options in benefit plans AND offering opportunities to work productively in ways that may look a little different. Here’s a few quick ideas on what to offer staff to improve their work-life balance.

Let’s start with the in-house wellness program, a great way to keep engagement going within the team that also supports physical and mental health. Ongoing wellness programs are most successful when they offer variety. One way to do this is scheduling webinars throughout the year such as cooking demos and fitness classes that the team can participate in together. And while many wellness programs have focused on physical health in years past, that trend is shifting. Requests for financial counseling, such as debt management, and single-subject virtual meetings, for example life insurance Q&As, have increased and employers are starting to regularly incorporate them into the team calendar. These are really useful offerings that teams consistently praise in feedback surveys.

In regards to working efficiency, there are some simple ways we can support our employees. With many working from home, they likely need assistance purchasing necessary supplies. Employers do this through an allowance for these purchases. Also, offering flexible work schedules is another easy policy that can make a big difference in alleviating stress, and it’s likely a necessary accommodation nowadays. Many of us have children at home, or other care-giving duties, and the ability to adjust our own schedules accordingly can make a big difference on productivity.

Our last quick suggestion is to take your brainstorming to the source: make use of the feedback from your employees. And not just one time, you’ll want to check in with them regularly throughout the year as we know that work life is not a static thing, but ever-evolving, and wellness programs should evolve as well.

Want help on implementing relevant plans for your team? Eos HR can assist. We offer small businesses an HR team that will help them navigate the challenges of a remote workforce.  Schedule a free consultation today to learn more about how we can help you decide which programs will benefit your team the most.

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