Is employee wellbeing a human right?

One in four (23 per cent) Canadians say they plan to quit or change jobs in 2023.

Also of concern for employers? Younger adults, aged 18-34, (at 34 per cent) are far more likely to feel this way than those aged 35-54 (19 per cent) and those aged 55+ (13 per cent).

Why? Wellbeing and flexibility are definitely important, finds the survey by First Onsite Property Restoration.

In fact, nearly nine in 10 (87 per cent) Canadians feel employee wellbeing is a human right, and 75 per cent feel hybrid working is here to stay.

“It’s increasingly important for HR leaders to focus on individual wellbeing and ensuring employees and managers are in the right resilient headspace,” says Brian Hughes, vice president of human resources for First Onsite Property Restoration.

“As the world and businesses change, workforces need ways to deal with high stress situations and evolve to be adaptable and effective.”

Unhealthy workplace environments are driving workers out – and women are more affected compared to men, according to a previous report.

Meaningful work important to employees

Three-quarters (75 per cent) of Canadians surveyed would like to work in an industry where they are helping people, finds First Onsite Property Restoration.

And 48 per cent desire a greater sense of purpose in their work than before the pandemic.

“Many Canadian employees are concerned about finding meaning in what they do for work,” says Hughes.

“If there is one thing the pandemic has taught us, it is the human desire to live more meaningful and enriched lives. It is about finding the why in everything – from work life to personal life. This goes beyond traditional salary and benefits and includes helping employees learn to find their purpose, which in the long run, creates stronger organizations and bolsters employee retention.”

However, 41 per cent of workers say they lack options for purposeful employment, finds the First Onsite Property Restoration’s survey of more than 1,500 Canadian adults, published in the Canadian Underwriter.

Globally, workers ranked meaningful work as the most important aspect of their career, according to a report released in 2019. And 73 per cent of respondents to a 2022 survey said that their work is meaningful.

Fostering meaningful work

Here are six ways employers can foster meaningful work on employees, according to Amy Rigby, founder of Copper Finch Media:
 

1. Get clear on your company’s mission, values and employer brand.
2. Help each team member perform a “purpose audit”.
3. Align a person’s work to personal and company values.
4. Show them the impact of their work.
5. Grant your team members more autonomy over their roles.
6. Encourage human connection at work.