Many people are dealing with significant stressors in 2022, making employee well-being initiatives more important now than ever before. Most working people spend about a third of their life at work, and when the workplace environment—whether it’s in-person or online—isn’t supportive and doesn’t promote healthy behaviors, both business outcomes and professionals’ private lives can suffer serious consequences.
Leaders around the world are focused on coming up with unique ideas to help ensure the health and wellness of employees this year. Here, 16 members of Forbes Coaches Council discuss some effective initiatives companies could launch to help staff deal with the challenges they are facing this year while maintaining high performance at work and a healthy, fulfilling life outside of work.
Forbes Coaches Council members share unique ideas for employee well-being initiatives in 2022.
Photos courtesy of the individual members.1. Create A Culture Of Open Communication And Resilience
Open communication and a culture of resilience are essential for the workplace. Hold mini meet-up sessions about a specific topic each week to help employees connect, get to know and support each other as humans and friends, not just colleagues. Topics can include relationships, parenting, work-life integration, health, stress, happiness and more. - Nida Leardprasopsuk, Nidaleard
2. Provide Financial Management Courses And More Flexibility
Financial stressors are top of mind for many employees. Providing financial management courses, including how to use the saving tools offered by the company, can help alleviate financial concerns. When possible, offering more work-from-home flexibility as gas prices continue to rise through the summer can help ease the pain at the pump. - Michael Timmes, Insperity
3. Offer Mindset Training
Offer mindset training to teach employees simple tools to help them notice their habitual thoughts and shift those thought patterns that do not serve them, such as “there is not enough time” or “this is too hard.” The opportunity to become more conscious of and shift negative beliefs can be transformational. It changes the limited perceptions that trigger the stressors and allows for more choice. - Vered Kogan, Momentum Institute
4. Help Employees Reconnect, Reground And Recenter
In the past two years, people have faced problems regarding, first, a lack of personal contact and connection, second, fear and anxiety, and third, insecurity about the future. For employee well-being, I would focus on the first two. Organize a physical event teaching people to relax and meditate and be together. It’s just basic human psychology. We lost track of reality. Give it back to people in all its simplicity. - Arvid Buit, TRUE Leadership
Forbes Coaches Council is an invitation-only community for leading business and career coaches. Do I qualify?
5. Give Everyone A Mandatory Day Off Every Week
Nothing satisfies employees more than a four-day workweek, especially since many company-driven wellness initiatives might be seen as one more task to complete under stressful conditions, taking away from the very well-being the organization is aiming to create. This also forces employees to be more productive and to plan their work effectively around the four-day week. - Vinesh Sukumaran, Vinesh Sukumaran Consulting
6. Let Go Of Managers Who Undermine Staff
Recent research from MIT and others indicates that most people who quit their jobs during the so-called “Great Resignation” (I call it the “Great Reconsideration”) did so because of a “toxic work environment.” Disrespect is a huge stressor. The best thing leadership can do for stressed-out employees is to let go of those managers who are bullying, manipulating and otherwise undermining the staff. - Gregg Ward, The Center for Respectful Leadership
7. Sign The Team Up For Resilience Training
Resilience training would be a good initiative. Sign up the whole team to learn about their unique individual strengths and areas to work on. Then, as a combined group, the camaraderie of learning together, challenging their own thinking and building stronger relationships will produce a more resilient workforce and an engaged team. - Sara Phelan, Evalu8-Evolve Business Coaching
8. Begin Meetings With Play And Do Daily Guided Meditation
The four components of mental health are a balance of work, play, love and creativity. Holding a meeting beginning with some spontaneous play and laughter can relieve stress and bring back revitalized vigor. Along with play, bringing in a facilitator to do a guided meditation each day also reduces stress. A meditation practice creates more calmness, flexibility, creativity and focus. - Melinda Fouts, Success Starts With You
9. Initiate A Flexible Work Location Policy
Some employees enjoy working at home because they are stressed by the commute and are more productive at home, and some prefer to be in the office because they are unproductive at home. In order to help staff deal with stress, consider initiating a policy to allow for flexibility in work location when possible and allow flexibility for managers to define the setup that best works for their teams. - Luke Feldmeier, Online Leadership Training - Career and Leadership Accelerator for Engineers
10. Close The Business Early To Have A ‘Happy Hour’
Start with simple things that encourage well-being that can be done together as a team. One unique idea is to close the business an hour early to have a “happy hour” on a Friday, featuring a green juice bar and a motivational/inspirational speaker to provide a jump-start on a positive weekend. - Jacquelyn Van Tuyl, Jacquelyn Van Tuyl International
11. Launch A Workplace Yoga Program
One unique idea for an employee well-being initiative is to launch a workplace yoga program. By providing regular opportunities for employees to engage in stretching and meditation exercises, companies can help their staff better manage the physical and emotional stressors associated with work. - Peter Boolkah, The Transition Guy
12. Host A Monthly Family Picnic
Host a monthly family picnic with a relaxed vibe where employees can socialize and their families can participate. Have some fun activities, an uplifting talk and opportunities to connect with colleagues, executives and their family members too. In 2022, people are reemerging after being in the lockdown cocoon. A multilayered approach that can positively impact many facets of a person’s wheel of life will be beneficial. - Arthi Rabikrisson, Prerna Advisory
13. Introduce Guided ‘Mind-Clearing Moments’
Well-being doesn’t have to be complex. Introduce a guided “mind-clearing moment” four to five times per day for 15 minutes each for employees to completely unplug and recharge their brains. Activities could include light exercise, doodling, coloring, meditation or just daydreaming. These moments are essential to manage stress as well as achieve peak productivity during challenging cycles. - Erin Urban, UPPSolutions, LLC
14. Promote The Idea Of Quietly Finding Your Center
When people are dealing with stressors, they need a way to “zen” out. Get them a membership to Calm.com and work through some initiatives that promote meditation. This will allow you to promote the idea of being quiet. When stressors come, quieting your mind and finding your center is the best approach to dealing with them effectively. - Jon Dwoskin, The Jon Dwoskin Experience
15. Focus On Organizational Health
Organizational health is the single best antidote I've seen to combat employee stress. Healthy organizations are kinder, more understanding and more flexible than unhealthy organizations. Healthy teams thrive through external pressures and internal disagreements, even gale force winds. Toxic teams crumble and disintegrate under the weight of even a whisper. - Randy Shattuck, The Shattuck Group
16. Try Non-Sleep Deep Rest To Reduce Stress
A Stanford-trained neuroscientist named Andrew Huberman created a science-based exercise called Non-Sleep Deep Rest (NSDR) that Google CEO Sundar Pichai uses to effortlessly reduce stress. You don’t need to be the CEO of Google to use it. Try NSDR today, and you will feel more at ease with less stress. It’s easy, simple and fast. - Christopher Kai, The Mathem Group
