Caring for employees at a distance

As we look beyond COVID-19 and explore its impact on the Canadian workforce, work styles and workplaces, one thing is clear: the pandemic has dramatically changed how we work and how we think about work.

Part of this shift in mentality for employers is a renewed emphasis on considering the overall human experience rather than simply the “employee experience,” especially as employees work remotely and the lines between work and home life are increasingly blurred.

With hybrid work models and increased flexibility around the traditional workday comes a need for employees to access healthcare and other wellness resources from where they are, when they need it. While health and wellness were already a focus of pre-pandemic employee benefits programs, with employers looking for accessible digital health solutions that promoted health, offered flexibility and helped manage stress; now, these resources are increasingly important to support people working remotely and simultaneously managing other responsibilities such as parenting.

This now means an enhanced focus on supporting employees’ health and wellness, with a particular focus on mental health support for employees of all ages — and their families. In fact, the health and wellness of an organization’s employees has become a key factor in retention and turnover and provides employees with purpose in work, creativity and productivity, according to Dr. Dominik Nowak, Family Physician and Chair of the TELUS Medical Advisory Council — who will be presenting in the webinar, “Seeing your people: How to better care for your employees” on June 24.

“To have joyful, engaged, and productive team members, it is critical that organizations promote the health and well-being of their team members at work and beyond,” says Dr. Nowak. “An organization is only as healthy as its people.”

Recent survey results suggest that employers who take care of their employees attract prospective employees, give existing ones a reason to stay and foster a productive workplace culture. More than three-quarters of Canadian workers would consider changing jobs for an employer who provides better support for mental health and well-being, and a similar proportion say that their employer’s mental health support is a significant consideration in deciding whether to stay, according to a 2020 survey by Morneau Shepell (now LifeWorks).

According to Dr. Nowak, remote work has collapsed the “natural split” between the workplace and home, and trying to balance both can be difficult for many employees. Additionally, employees can develop exhaustion from the loss of boundaries and constant connectedness, have more difficulty finding purpose in online-only work and a detachment from meaningful workplace relationships.

 “The social connectedness, shared sense of purpose and camaraderie, natural boundaries and structure that a physical workplace offers can impact a person’s sense of well-being and be good for their overall health,” says Dr. Nowak. “Although the flexibility of remote work has many benefits, it can also be challenging to maintain work/life boundaries in our hyper-connected world. Remote work itself has its own series of health risks such as social isolation, burnout and decreased physical activity, among many others.”

Given these challenges, Dr. Nowak recommends that organizations and their leadership make a concerted effort to support employees with accessible wellness strategies that are flexible and creative rather than one-size-fits-all, allowing for differences in employees’ lives and needs. Dr. Nowak also suggests employers should focus on incorporating purpose, mentorship, social connectedness, financial health, physical health and mental health into those wellness strategies, always with an element of customization to ensure all employees are — and feel — included.

Similar to “social prescriptions” by health professionals, an organization’s approach to these challenges can promote health equity, encourage employees to give back to the community and build on the relationships remote workers have with their colleagues. Organizations should be thoughtful and focused in developing these programs, especially when considering the impact that COVID-19 and isolation from colleagues and clients have had on mental health.

“When done right, an organization’s support for mental health is more of a cultural transformation, beyond any single initiative,” says Dr. Nowak. “It overlaps into numerous domains – among them are how people relate to each other, support each other in setting boundaries and seek professional help proactively.”

With the tremendous shift in work habits and employee expectations we have seen in the last year, employers will need to remain focused on developing health and wellness programs that address that shift in their employees’ lives and offer the support they need to be proactive about their physical and mental health — not just as employees but as people.

TELUS Health will be presenting a free webinar, “Seeing your people: How to better care for your employees”. For more information on this webinar, register here.

To learn more about TELUS Health Virtual Care, click here.