Back to the Office: Focus on Employee Wellness
BrightPlan Team
We recently unveiled findings from our 2021 Wellness Barometer Survey that delves into employee well-being in the United States. As offices gradually reopen in light of the government’s July 4th target, the safety and well-being of employees continue to be top of mind for HR leaders nationwide. In this blog post, we explore how employees have been affected by the pandemic and how HR teams can enable them to regain their footing.
Better work life balance, worse mental health
Knowledge workers in the survey responded with mixed opinions on how the pandemic has affected their lives. The most positive feelings are around work life balance and productivity. More than half of employees reported improvements in those two areas. Many knowledge workers were able to work from home, away from exposure to the virus. With the shift to remote work, employees gained back precious time from their commutes that they were able to spend with their families.
On the other hand, 30% of employees reported worse mental health. Juggling work with childcare and navigating the blurred lines between work and life contributed to this trend. Not surprisingly, women (37%) and people of color (35%) reported worse mental health declines than men (24%) and whites (28%).
How can HR leaders help? Support employees who are seeking to retain flexibility by incorporating hybrid schedules as part of office reopening plans. 32% of employees surveyed would like to continue working at least part of the time remotely. Show that you care about employee wellness by allowing them this flexibility.
Skyrocketing financial stress
The survey also asked respondents about how the pandemic affected their finances. Financial well-being is a crucial part of employee wellness. Finances are the number one cause of stress for employees, directly impacting their physical and mental health. Therefore, employee well-being is not complete without incorporating financial wellness along with physical, mental and emotional wellness.
Although the pandemic didn’t impact knowledge workers quite as heavily as service workers, the pandemic still caused widespread stress. Our survey found that during this time, 81% of employees reassessed their financial situation and 65% were stressed about money. Younger employees tended to be more stressed than their older co-workers about money.
More than half (56%) increased their retirement savings contributions despite the stress employees are facing. Men are more likely to say that they’ve contributed more to retirement―58% for men vs. 53% for women. Fewer vacations and less eating out may have led to this trend.
Although employees saved more for retirement, more than half (53%) also reported decreased emergency savings. Sudden job loss, furlough, or other gaps in employment in the household may have caused this trend. Black respondents were more impacted than other groups, with 65% reporting a decrease in emergency savings versus 54% of whites and only 35% of Asians.
HR leaders can help by recognizing the anxiety and stress employees have been through, particularly when it comes to money, and offer support, resources and benefits to help employees get back on track.
Post-pandemic optimism
Despite the stress and anxiety employees feel about their finances, most are optimistic about the future. The steep reduction in COVID cases thanks to vaccination efforts allowed employees to plan for the return to normal. Two-thirds of employees (64%) say that they are planning a post-pandemic splurge, either a large purchase or a vacation, indicating consumer confidence in the near future. More men than women are planning for such a splurge―68% vs. 59%, respectively. And younger employees more than baby boomers―60% vs. 37%.
Most employees had delayed vacations, weddings, milestone birthday celebrations, and other major life events due to the pandemic and are looking forward to living their lives to the fullest again. HR leaders can help by acknowledging the toll on employees of putting their lives on hold during the pandemic and share resources for those ready to press play.
The 2021 Wellness Barometer Survey tells the story of employee wellness, including how the pandemic affected US knowledge workers and their expectations of HR and employers in a range of key areas. As employees return to their pre-pandemic lives and offices start to reopen, HR leaders need to keep a pulse on their employees and pivot benefits when required to keep them productive, healthy and engaged. To read the in-depth survey results, get the full report.
