The Impact Of Wellness Coaching On Hybrid Workplaces

Here’s how companies can promote a healthy, productive workforce regardless of an employee’s physical location

The pandemic fast-tracked remote working trends. These early measures to protect the health and safety of employees weren’t meant to be permanent. Workers would be back. Offices would thrive again. But now, entering the third year of remote work, many expect employers to permanently adopt a hybrid model. Recent studies show that most remote-capable employees continue to work from home and that 63% of high-growth entities have already cemented productivity-anywhere models.
 

With the hybrid remote working model now taking shape, what expectations do employees have through this transition? One thing is clear: as the workplace evolves and leaders rethink their strategies, employee mental health and well-being should remain a top priority. 

Prevent Employee Burnout

In the pandemic’s early days, workers were put first. Employee protection laws and workplace safety measures were passed. Many shifted to work-from-home setups. Some were given pay boosts and added leave benefits. Frontline and educational workers garnered wide community support. It was a time of virtual happy hours, group fitness challenges and sourdough starters.

As these protective measures and novelties of remote work have worn off, workers across industries have experienced amplified rates of burnout. Employees are feeling less supported. In a recent Gallup poll, only 24% of workers surveyed strongly believe their employer cares about their well-being, down from nearly 50% at the height of the pandemic.
 
These findings could have serious implications for organizations. Compared to others polled, workers who strongly agreed that their employers cared about their well-being were:
 

• Over 70% less likely to report experiencing burnout
• Some 69% less likely to be actively searching for a new job
• Three times more likely to be engaged at work

 
Moreover, these same employees reported thriving both in and out of work. That’s good news for companies that have implemented programs and practices to support workers’ health and well-being. For those who haven’t, let this be a wake-up call to act on your employees' needs. 

Supporting Well-Being in the Hybrid Workplace

For many, remote work has compounded pre-existing stressors. The uncertainty, isolation and blurred boundaries between work and home life have amplified health, financial and childcare concerns. Across the board, increased stress, anxiety, depression, and insomnia are being reported. Upticks in substance use and drug overdoses have also been observed. In fact, about 40% of U.S. adults reported struggling with mental health or substance abuse issues in 2020.

And, as some return to the office, one recent study showed that nearly 50% of remote workers are experiencing work-from-home anxiety. These symptoms, coupled with unhealthy behaviors, stand to negatively impact employee productivity, further exacerbate their chronic health issues and, ultimately, affect their overall happiness and well-being. With workplaces sticking to hybrid models for the foreseeable future, digital health coaching could be what employees need to feel supported to make positive changes while maintaining a sense of privacy. 

Creating a Customized Approach to Drive Engagement

While proven effective in helping participants achieve positive behavioral changes to improve their overall health (i.e., reducing stress, improving diet, and increasing sleep), in-person wellness programs have historically struggled to draw in, engage and yield sustainable outcomes. These challenges have been made even more difficult by hybrid work. The workplace shift has revealed long-standing flaws. Notably, traditional programs often take a standardized approach to care. Lacking a personal touch, they fail to connect with participants, leading to short-term changes that ultimately fizzle out. 

There’s a better way. It comes in the form of optimized health coaching that employs both interactive wellness technology and live coaching for 1-on-1 care. Such programs can increase participant compliance by 112% by:
 

• Personalizing the experience: Customized care pathways engage employees in meaningful ways, increasing the likelihood they complete programs and achieve improved health outcomes.

 

• Offering bite-sized content: Programs that allow participants to consume short, tailored content at their own pace promote the adoption of behaviors that improve health and well-being.  

 

• Delivering a blend of coaching: A mix of on-demand, and live, digital coaching offerings allow employees to receive the support they need — when, where and how they need the help.

 
The personalization, convenience, and flexibility of digital care meet people when and where they are, both physically and mentally, leading to long-term positive outcomes. 

Reimagining Workplace Wellness 

There’s no doubt digital wellness programs can greatly influence employee health and well-being. Such programs, be they employee- or employer-paid, also stand to benefit employers now and in the long run. By investing in an enhanced health coaching program, employers can realize the following benefits:
 

• Decreased healthcare costs: Lifestyle risks and unhealthy behaviors contribute to more than 80% of employer healthcare costs. When employees are given the tools needed to manage their chronic conditions and improve their general health, they are less likely to require expensive interventions later on. 

 

• Less employee turnover: Employees are experiencing burnout at a 34% higher rate than one year ago, setting the stage for a treacherous cycle in which stress leads to burnout and attrition. Helping employees reduce their stress will ultimately lead to less turnover, and more productivity and can even help employers attract new talent.

 
In the post-pandemic workplace, traditional wellness programs will further struggle to engage participants and impact employee well-being. Despite some companies mandating a return to the office (even just occasionally), it’s critical that decision-makers reimagine their wellness benefits and resources to help employees thrive in their roles — no matter where they are located.
 
By elevating wellness benefits and resources, companies can promote a healthy, productive workforce regardless of an employee’s physical location. The future of the workplace is being decided now, giving leaders the opportunity to place employee well-being at the center of the hybrid-workplace discussion.  

Clark Lagemann is a seasoned entrepreneur and innovator on a mission to change lives by fixing the biggest problems in healthcare. Currently, as Co-CEO of Avidon Health, he leads a team of behavior change experts who are passionate about providing health strategies that empower people to make positive life changes. Clark is a graduate of Rutgers Business School and is a three-time Ironman finisher. He has also been the recipient of awards including NJBIZ’s 40 Under 40 and Rutgers University’s Entrepreneur of the Year.   Visit https://avidonhealth.com/  Connect Clark Lagemann Follow @AvidonHealth