Banish Employee Burnout

November 4, 2010

Has the recession got your organization doing more with less?  Are you relying on fewer resources and smaller teams who are taxed to keep your organization afloat, competitive and profitable?

 Banish employee burnout and keep your organization running smoothly with happy employees performing at optimum levels.

Be aware of the signs of burnout:

  • Even stars crash and burn. Your star performers are most susceptible to burnout. Their champion attitudes will push them further and farther to do more and they can push themselves right over the edge.
  • Mistakes. Little ones and big ones become more frequent. These mistakes can become costly against your bottom line.
  • Burnout goes home. The toll on your employees goes beyond the work environment: illness, auto accidents, home problems and abusive behavior, to name a few.

Quell the flames of burnout:

  • Provide training for managers and supervisors to help them avoid overloading staff. Be sure that they recognize the symptoms and the risks of employee burnout.
  • Offer relaxation options like yoga or meditation or even just a quiet room to sit and think.  A focus on wellness and being centered can calm a stressed environment and refresh your employees.
  • Try to minimize the cause of burnout: an imbalance in work/life time. Discourage working late and coming in early, as well as taking work home. Insist that vacation days are used, even if it’s just for staycations. Make it a company policy if you need to.
  • Use teambuilding activities. Or, take it a step further and combine teamwork with philanthropy through a group volunteer project. When people feel like part of a team, a greater cause, and community, they know they’re not “in it” alone.

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Posted by Biz Dev

Top three reasons for wellness in a down economy

August 12, 2010

In a recession, cash-strapped employees could be exercising less, eating more fast food and stress levels could be increased.

Employers who choose to maintain or even expand funding for employee wellness programs will maximize the benefits of a healthy happy workforce. Here are a few ways your wellness dollars translate to ROI for your organization by implementing wellness as a business solution.

1. Wellness = priority = more productivity . Employment services firm Manpower found that workers are eight times more likely to be engaged in their work when employers regularly beat the wellness drum. Employees said working for a company that promotes wellness encourages them to be more creative and innovative.

According to the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Productivity losses related to personal and family health problems cost U.S. employers $1,685 per employee per year, or $225.8 billion annually.

2. Attract and maintain the best talent with wellness. The latest Principal Financial Well-Being Index reveals that 45% of employees working for small and midsize companies consider wellness benefits a reason to stay in their jobs. Their favorite wellness perks: on-site fitness rooms, discounts on gym memberships and at-work weight-loss programs.

3. Maintain wellness. Even during the recession, a Towers Watson and National Business Group on Health study shows that more than half of companies are maintaining or increasing spending on wellness.

A separate survey by Fidelity Investments shows that, on average, employers spend nearly 2% of their total health care claim dollars on wellness programs. Half plan to add at least one more health improvement plan in 2010, and 89% will maintain their current programs.

According to experts, employers that start wellness programs can see a positive return on investment “within the first few years of adoption.”

Harvard researchers found that for every dollar a company spends on wellness it can save $3.27 on medical costs, and $2.73 in absenteeism costs.

Coca-Cola’s fitness program recouped $500 per year per employee, despite the fact that only 60% of their staff was enrolled.

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Posted by Biz Dev

Finding a healthy workplace: your job Shangri-La

July 26, 2010

Experts all agree a healthy workplace means workplace wellness and workplace wellness equals happier employees.  As a jobseeker – that’s where you want to be in the “happy employee” pool.  So what should you know about finding and identifying  a healthy workplace to make your very own job Shangri-La?

According to Lynda Monk,  the founder of Creative Wellness, an arts-based life and health coaching consultancy, a healthy workplace will possess these three qualities:

1) A proactive approach to mitigating occupational stress 

2) Core values that nurture and support leadership. 

3) A culture where  employees are thanked often, are acknowledged for their contributions and the good work of the team is celebrated. 

When seeking a new employer – think about how well you will be a fit there at the company – as much as whether you fit the job description.  Ask yourself:

Does the company value work-life balance and make tools available to nurture that? Are there programs and policies that can promote work-life balance?

  • Flexible work arrangements, such as flextime and telecommuting
  • Assistance with childcare
  • Eldercare benefits
  • Resources to help employees manage personal financial issues
  • Availability of benefits for family members and domestic partners
  • Flexible leave options beyond those required by the Family and Medical Leave Act
  • EAP programs
  • Health & Wellness programs

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Posted by HR Diva

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