Editor’s Note

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The coronavirus pandemic is an unprecedented episode like never before. It highlighted the need for employers to prioritize and normalize the discussions around employee wellbeing at work. 

This issue of Employee Benefits & Wellness Excellence, with a special focus on Employee Well-being, includes a collection of articles that emphasize the importance of employee wellbeing - the physiological, physical, financial, and social wellness.

The pandemic has dramatically changed employee utilization of healthcare services, where they receive them, and the modality of care.  Employers have a key role to play to adjust to the demands of Covid-19 to ensure that the health and well-being of employees and their families continue to be met. New resources and tools, available digitally and virtually, are required to fill the void that Covid-19 has created. Check out our cover article by Andrea Bloom, Engaging Employees In Their Health During Covid-19 And Beyond that highlights the importance of investing in health and wellness services that can be delivered virtually and digitally.

It is estimated that mental health problems and illnesses cost the Canadian economy at least $50 billion annually and that in any given week, 500,000 employed Canadians are unable to work due to mental illness. While social determinants of health extend beyond the confines of the workplace, it is an important site where many of these factors exert influence. Dominique Dennery’s article, Work Design And Mental Well-being: Improving Social Determinants Of Mental Health In the Workplace, talks about the importance of mitigating stress and promoting mental wellbeing.

In an exclusive interaction with HR.com, David Osborne, CEO, Virgin Pulse talks about the importance of well-being cultures and why employee well-being must be the top priority for every business organization in 2021 and beyond.

According to Bank of America’s 2020 Workplace Benefits Report, only forty-nine per cent of employees described themselves as “financially well,” down from sixty-one per cent in 2018, while fifty-nine per cent admitted to not having control over their debt. That’s a twenty per cent decline in financial wellness confidence in just two years! The pandemic has disrupted nearly every aspect of our lives, including the financial health of many businesses and their people. Richard Limpkin’s article, Building A Better Employee Experience By Supporting Financial Wellbeing, shares the key steps employers can take to launch and bolster financial wellness programs.

Also included in this edition is an exclusive research by HR.com's HR Research Institute, The State of Employee Health and Well-being 2021. The research focuses on the current state of employee well-being and how organizations have tried to influence and safeguard well-being in recent times.

We hope you enjoy reading all the articles that focus on various well-being strategies and insights to help you build a healthy and happy workplace.

Stay Well! Stay Happy!