The WellRight Blog

“You think you’re busy—just wait until you have kids!”

As irritating as this pronouncement can be to those without children, there is a certain grain of truth in it. Having children really does add a hectic new dimension to life.

But, there’s work to be done. And so, new parents must find a way to balance the demands of their job with the demands of their tiny, toothless new overlords. What role can their employer play? How can the company culture support new parents and set up a win-win situation for everybody?

Impact. Selflessness. Courage. Responsibility.

When Netflix wrote and published the 126-slide deck “Netflix Culture,” it used these words, among others, to clearly describe to employees the behaviors and attributes the company deemed important for success.

Many other companies don’t put anywhere near that amount of thought into their culture … if they put any thought into it at all.

But optimizing your company culture can be one of the most powerful ways to improve not just the wellness of your employees, but the wellness of your company as a whole. 

We live in an age of research. People research purchases big and small, vacation spots, and even potential romantic partners, all from their devices or laptops.

There’s a commonly held belief that married couples often end up resembling each other as they age. As it turns out, this may be true. Researchers who have studied married couples report spouses’ similar facial features are due to the decades of emotions they’ve shared.

But facial features aren’t the only things we share with those we are close to.

We often take on the attitudes, behaviors, and emotions of the people we surround ourselves with in both our personal and professional lives—and this can have a profound effect on our health and wellness.

Every company deserves to reap the benefits of having a wellness program that produces happier, healthier, more engaged employees. But many of these companies may be shying away from implementing a wellness program, thinking that costly wellness incentives are the only way for a program to be successful. After all, employees aren’t going to participate unless they’re getting impressive rewards in return, right?

Think again.

As it turns out, it’s possible to have a wellness program with exciting, sought-after incentives that don’t break the bank.

"The only constant is change."

When Greek philosopher Heraclitus of Ephesus made this declaration in roughly 500 B.C., he certainly wasn’t anticipating the way technological advancements would change our lives—seemingly on a daily basis. Just looking at the past 10 years, since the iPhone first debuted, technology has revolutionized the way we pass time, communicate, and interact.

It’s most certainly changed the way we work … and how we approach wellness.

According to Michael O’Donnell, the CEO of the Art & Science of Health Promotion Institute, healthcare costs are spiraling out of control. So badly, in fact, that within the next 50 to 60 years, the United States Congressional Budget Office anticipates that spending on major healthcare programs will rise from 5.5 percent of GDP to almost 19 percent, leading to unprecedented levels of federal debt. And even with all this spending, we’re not getting any healthier.

 But it doesn’t have to be that way.

For wellness programs to succeed, the support of management is critical. But company leaders aren’t just responsible for choosing programs, approving budgets, and getting the ball rolling. They must also be prepared to give employees the support and encouragement needed to create a culture of wellness and positive change.

When management takes employee wellness seriously and works to foster a culture of wellness, it can result in amazing transformations to the work environment, productivity, and retention, and to each employee’s life at work … and beyond.

To get ahead in business, many employers will do whatever it takes—like requiring employees to work long days, evenings, and weekends. While this dedicated work ethic contributes to the company’s—and the individual’s—professional success, it frequently comes at the expense of employees’ personal lives.

Today’s employees are becoming less willing to make that sacrifice. Instead, they seek work-life balance: making time for family, friends, and personal activities while successfully meeting workplace demands in a smart, efficient manner.

But finding that balance isn’t always easy.

At some point in their lives, approximately 75% of working women in the United States will become pregnant. But what should be a very exciting time in their lives can sometimes become a challenging one, with physical and emotional changes making daily work tasks difficult. Adding to the challenge is concern over discrimination, which can prevent pregnant employees from asking for accommodations to make things easier.

But by ensuring you have a robust employee wellness program, you can help your employees be more comfortable and productive throughout their pregnancy and beyond.