Last year we traded commutes for couches and conference rooms for Zooms. Now, just as the great return to the workplace was set to begin, the workforce is once again adapting to new challenges in the face of emerging COVID variants. This means organizations must support mental health and wellbeing in a transformed world.
The new world of work is being built against the global backdrop of COVID and other health crises and social issues impacting employers, employees, health plans, and their members. The lines between life at work and life at home have blurred, forcing organizational leaders to recognize the vital role they play in creating healthier, happier employees and human beings, in all areas of life. Employee Wellbeing Month 2021 comes at a critical time and highlights how diverse, inclusive, wellbeing-minded organizations lead to more productive and engaged workforces, create mental health awareness, and drive meaningful change for true health equity—wherever employees are.
This year marks thirteen years since Virgin Pulse launched National Employee Wellness Month and this June, it’s more relevant than ever. With mental health issues on the rise and health disparities in the forefront of our minds during our ongoing battle with the pandemic, centering your organizational culture around diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and providing your employees with the tools, resources, and support they need to thrive is mission critical. There is no one-size-fits-all solution to health and wellbeing, but with the right approach, organizations can help make health equity a reality in the workplace, in the community, and across the globe.
As we learn more about the impact of social determinants of health on our workforce and as the employer-employee relationship continues to evolve, so must the scope of employee wellbeing. The most successful organizations focus not only on physical wellbeing—they also focus on emotional health to create a diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment that supports each employee’s need to develop healthy habits when it comes to sleep, stress management, mindfulness, work-life balance, condition management, financial health, and more.
This annual toolkit includes dozens of resources such as a calendar, flyers, tips, activity ideas, and more to help you support your workforce’s health and happiness throughout the month of June and beyond.
I have made many positive changes at home as well. We make healthier choices. We eat a lot of vegetables and use coconut oil to cook with now.
Not only have I influenced my family, but now my co-workers are taking the pledge to get into a healthier lifestyle.
I feel stronger than I have in years and people have noticed. I think my increased fitness and health is even lighting the fire in my family and friends.
When my family, friends and co-workers ask, how did you do it? I say to them, get rid of the idea of this being a diet. It's a life change.