This Leader Made Employee Well-Being Her North Star — Here’s What You Can Learn from Her

Jen Fisher knows what it feels like to suffer from burnout. Seven years ago, Jen found herself so exhausted from working long hours at professional services firm Deloitte that she couldn’t get out of bed.

After taking some time off, she wrote a business case for why supporting the mental and physical well-being of employees was a worthwhile investment. Deloitte leadership agreed, naming Jen its first chief well-being officer, a title largely unheard of at the time.

Today, Jen is a leading authority on workplace wellness — and her message has never been more important. Since the pandemic hit nearly two years ago, employees have experienced a significant increase in burnout, stress-related physical problems, and feelings of isolation — presenting serious challenges, from lost productivity to employee turnover, for employers. 

It’s no wonder employers are devoting more dollars and attention to employee wellness. In fact, LinkedIn’s brand-new Global Talent Trends 2022 report highlights that this shift is helping usher in an era of company culture where companies treat their employees with care and compassion.

A survey by the American Psychological Association found that rising stress levels are contributing to the Great Reshuffle, with more than two in five employees saying that they plan to leave their jobs in the next year, up from one in three in 2019.

The same can be said for other countries, such as the United Kingdom, where burnout and other factors prompted one quarter of workers to say they expect to leave their jobs within the next few months, according to a survey by recruitment firm Randstad UK.

“The workforce is demanding to work for organizations that truly value who they are, inside and outside of the workplace,” says Jen, who is the host of the podcast series WorkWell and the coauthor of Work Better Together: How to Cultivate Strong Relationships to Maximize Well-Being and Boost Bottom Lines. “Investing in employee well-being helps employers attract and retain talent, and it also increases engagement, productivity, creativity, and innovation.” 

As Deloitte’s chief well-being officer, Jen is on a mission to create a culture where the “badge of busy” is no longer a badge of honor. 

“The person who stays up all night is not only hurting themselves and their own health, but the risk to the organization is huge,” she says. “If you want a high performing workforce, you need a workforce that’s taking care of itself.” 

Read on to learn about Jen’s ideas for fostering a culture of well-being that will allow companies to attract and retain talent:

1. Bosses need to demonstrate self-care

Senior execs have a critical role to play in promoting employee wellness. It starts with focusing on their own health and making sure the message is shared throughout the company.

If the CEO doesn’t exercise, take vacation days, or set boundaries, it’s unlikely workers will either.

“It’s not enough to say, ‘We care about well-being,’” Jen says. “As the leader of an organization, it’s important to demonstrate that you take care of yourself.”

2. Help employees make time in their day for wellness

Why should workouts be reserved for early mornings or after traditional work hours?

At Deloitte, employees can design their workdays to include well-being activities at the hours that make sense for them, whether it’s an exercise class, an afternoon nap, or something else meaningful to them.

Jen, for one, likes to work out daily from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. “It’s in my work calendar, just like any other appointment,” she says. 

3. Be generous with time off

There’s little doubt that employees are craving more personal time. LinkedIn data shows the No. 1 priority for job seekers is work-life balance, trumping even excellent compensation.

Deloitte has a robust paid time off program that includes vacation days, as well as paid mental health days. In addition, the organization, along with a growing number of employers, shuts down its offices periodically for a company-wide time off. The goal is to encourage workers to fully detach themselves from the stresses of work.

“We call it a ‘collective disconnect,’” Jen says. 

4. Offer wellness subsidies

Self-care means different things to different people. Deloitte helps its employees customize their approach to wellness by offering an annual well-being subsidy. 

The dollars can be used to pay for gym memberships, yoga classes, scuba diving lessons, meditation instruction, and other well-being initiatives. One Deloitte employee used her subsidy to help pay for her entry in the New York City Marathon while another used it to become a certified Vinyasa yoga teacher. 

5. Create an environment where employees feel comfortable talking about mental health

As part of Deloitte’s larger commitment to supporting mental health, the firm is working to destigmatize mental health issues.

One way to do that is through storytelling. Deloitte asks its employees to share their mental health experiences in blog posts or videos that are then promoted across the firm. These stories can provide comfort to employees who are grappling with mental health issues of their own and prompt them to seek help.

Deloitte wants to create “a culture that recognizes that we will all struggle with mental health issues in our lives or know someone who will,” Jen told Thrive Global. 

6. Train managers to spot burnout

Jen believes team leaders should monitor employees’ well-being and be on the look-out for signs of stress.

When employees who are generally positive suddenly express negative thoughts or they start sending emails at odd hours, that might mean they’re feeling overwhelmed by work pressures. Managers should check in and offer help. 

Another way to get a handle on employee stress is by conducting employee surveys that include questions about well-being. “This can give leaders insights into teams and/or areas of the organization that may be struggling more than others,” Jen says. 

7. Hold leaders accountable for supporting employee well-being

 One of the best ways to drive home the message that well-being is a critical business priority is by tying managers’ compensation and promotions to how well they support their team members.

At Deloitte, feedback from employees is gathered and incorporated into managers’ performance reviews. 

“Everybody in the organization,” Jen says, “needs to have a goal around well-being and team leaders are held accountable.”

Final thoughts

Building a culture of well-being requires creative thinking, financial investment, and the cooperation of individuals at all levels of an organization.

But for employers that make the commitment, the payoffs can be significant — employees can be happier and more productive and companies can improve retention and performance.

“By supporting the well-being of their people, employers are building a resilient workforce,” Jen says. “And a resilient workforce helps companies withstand times of crisis and come back stronger on the other side.”

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