Employee Wellbeing: It’s Critical.
*Article also appears in The 2024 Q3 Prouty Pulse.
In today’s dynamic and competitive business landscape, the spotlight on employee wellbeing shines brighter than ever before. Over the last few years, we’ve seen an increase in headlines such as:
- “The Rise of the Chief Wellbeing Officer”
- “A ‘Dire Need’ for Mental Health in the Workplace”
- “Employee Wellbeing is Suffering”
- “Helping Company Culture Thrive”
- “Poor Wellbeing Hurts Companies”
- “Why Keeping Internal Talent Happy is Critical”
Burnout, workplace culture, flexible work policies, and the role of leadership in promoting wellbeing all find their place in the headlines, illustrating the breadth and depth of the conversation surrounding employee wellbeing today.
Not only do these headlines speak volumes, science and research underscore the undeniable link between employee wellbeing and organizational success, highlighting a plethora of benefits that stem from fostering a culture of care and support within the workplace.
The Prouty Project is known for its work in the strategic planning and leadership development spaces, and wellbeing is integrated into these two lines of work. Organizations that embed wellbeing into their strategic objectives recognize its strategic importance as a driver of productivity, innovation, and employee retention. By aligning wellbeing initiatives with overarching goals and allocating resources accordingly, organizations ensure that employee wellbeing becomes an integral part of their long-term success.
Not only are wellbeing initiatives connected to strategic planning, they are related to leadership development as well. Organizations that prioritize leadership development initiatives are better positioned to create healthy, thriving work environments where employees feel valued, supported, and empowered to contribute their best.
By fostering a culture of care, support, and belonging, and integrating employee wellbeing into strategic decision-making processes, organizations can unlock the full potential of their most valuable assets—their people. The dialogue around employee wellbeing continues to rise, as does the importance of investing in employees. Not only is taking care of employees the “right” thing to do, there is plenty of research-backed evidence that supports how organizations also benefit from investing in their employees. By prioritizing employee wellbeing, investing in leadership development, and integrating wellbeing into strategic planning processes, organizations can cultivate a culture of health, happiness, and high performance that drives sustainable success in the ever-evolving business landscape.
The Prouty Project is proud to invest in its own employees by incorporating the following initiatives:
- A very generous annual “wellness” stipend with flexible use for each employee.
- Weekly wellbeing initiatives and discussions via BetterYet® programming through our partnership with Positive Foundry®.
- Monthly in-person team days to learn, connect, and have fun.
- An improved parental leave package.
- An invitation to take several days a year to volunteer with other organizations or initiatives.
- Encouragement of walking meetings.
- Occasional team yoga.
- Flexible “work from anywhere” accommodations.
- Reimbursement for professional growth and development opportunities.
- An all-office “soft close” during the week of the 4th of July and between Christmas and New Years.
What other ways do you invest in your employees? We’d love to hear your ideas!
If you are interested in investing in your employee and organizational wellbeing but don’t know where to start, here’s how The Prouty Project’s own Kristin Jonason, a Master of Applied Positive Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania and a National Board Certified Health & Wellness Coach from the Mayo Clinic, can help your employees, your team, and your organization thrive:
- Provide 1:1 or group coaching opportunities to your employees.
- Create customizable programming, workshops, or keynotes on any wellbeing-related topic.
- Facilitate a 5-part series for your team centered on flourishing at work, covering topics such as mindfulness, vitality, purpose and passions, emotions, and relationships.
- Lead a 12-month or 40-week program partnering with Positive Foundry® to develop and practice skills such as gratitude, optimism, energy management, resilience, and creating goals and habits.
- Review your internal policies and practices to create recommendations for a flourishing workplace.
Now is the best time to invest in your employees by investing in their wellbeing. Contact Kristin to learn more about The Prouty Project’s offerings to help your employees and organization thrive!
Kristin Jonason, MAPP, NBC-HWC
kristin.jonason@proutyproject.com