Why Wellness In The Workplace Matters For Your DE&I Initiatives

BrightPlan’s 2021 Wellness Barometer Survey found that certain affinity groups have been disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic—35% of people of color cited declined mental health compared to 28% of white employees. Likewise, 37% of women indicated a decline in mental health compared to only 24% of men. We saw firsthand how remote work and remote schooling not only affected working families and parents, but also exposed clear disparities between those with solid resources and a safety net, and those without. COVID-19 and its economic and workplace shifts placed an increased burden on women, people of color, and other underrepresented groups.

While the past two years have brought much-needed attention to diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) in the workplace, there’s still more work to do and employee wellness cannot be ignored in the pursuit of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

What Is DE&I?

DE&I is a framework for establishing policies and programs that address the needs of all employee populations and promote equal opportunities. 

• Diversity embraces employees’ unique differences, such as age, race, gender, religion, physical ability, sexual orientation, and marital status as well as different ideas, values, and perspectives.
• Equity is about providing fair treatment, access, and equal opportunity for all, while also removing barriers that have previously hindered certain groups from fully participating or advancing.
• Inclusion is about building a culture of belonging for everyone in the organization while embracing and respecting everyone’s differences.

Wellness In The Workplace And Your DE&I Initiatives

It is not uncommon for companies to treat workplace wellness and DE&I as separate initiatives. However, they’re not mutually exclusive. You can’t have an engaged workforce without focusing on wellness, and you can’t have a wellness culture if you don’t foster inclusion and diversity.

Well-being Is A Diversity Issue

Mental health and well-being are directly affected by diversity issues. Lack of representation and support as well as microaggressions and biases in the workplace—in addition to racism and racial violence outside the workplace—all have a negative impact on overall well-being. Further, finances are the number one cause of stress for employees, especially for those from underrepresented backgrounds who have fewer resources and have been disproportionately affected by job losses stemming from the pandemic. Employers have an opportunity to make a big impact by acknowledging the relationship between mental health, financial wellness, and overall well-being when building DE&I initiatives. 

Inclusivity Improves Employee Well-being

In the workplace, a culture of belonging is a major factor in employee happiness and organizational performance. An inclusive workplace supports employee well-being through its positive effects on employee self-esteem, enhanced career progression, social connectedness and belonging, and reduced discrimination and harassment. According to Achievers Workforce Institute, employees who feel supported on their physical and mental well-being are 2.5 times more likely to feel a strong sense of belonging and more likely to be engaged, productive, and resilient.

Employee Wellness Benefits Need To Be Truly Inclusive

DE&I initiatives need to be about access to the benefits and programs that help create a sense of safety and security. Audit your current wellness benefits offering and consider whether you should make changes that target the needs of traditionally marginalized groups. Ask yourself if your wellness programs support the needs of diverse family structures, socioeconomic status, generational differences, and religious beliefs. Wellness programs should be accessible to all employees with careful consideration given to family needs, culture, age, health and financial status.

Recognizing employees’ unique needs, and addressing those needs at a personalized level can help improve well-being across the organization and make all employees feel welcome and appreciated.