When outlining the key characteristics of an effective employee wellness program, it is imperative to equitably provide the same benefits, resources, and opportunities to all employees. 

While all employees should receive equal access to wellness offerings, no two employees require the same resources or start from the same place. 

Rather, employees bring a wide array of life experiences to their organizations, meaning each individual requires a different, personalized level of support to thrive. 

In WellRight’s recent webinar hosted by Fierce Healthcare, WellRight CEO Neepa Patel sat down with Vanessa Guzman, MHSA, President and CEO of SmartRise Health, and Amelia Bedri, MHSA, Senior Content Engineer at the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), to break down the foundational elements of an equitable workplace. 

Managing implicit bias—both personally and in the workplace—requires a pointed, actionable, and consistent approach.

True equity at work can only be achieved once biases, including racial bias, have been identified, understood, and committed to by all members of an organization. With the help of implicit bias training and other diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, organizations can raise awareness of biases that may affect decision-making and foster a more inclusive culture where employees thrive.

For years, corporate wellness programs were designed to help employees access health care, company-sponsored services, and other benefits to maintain and improve their well-being.

And while that hasn’t changed, the world has.

Today’s employees are dealing with stressors that stretch beyond their day-to-day work tasks. From inflation and pandemic-induced mental health issues to direct and indirect discrimination, employees need different levels of support now than they did before 2020.

Is your wellness program equipped to keep up with what your employees truly need to thrive?

What’s the difference between a 63-year-old employee worried about retirement savings and a 22-year-old employee suffering from depression?

Nothing. Not according to many wellness programs, anyway.

And that spells trouble for employers.

Companies witnessed employees leaving in droves during last year’s “Great Resignation.” In 2022, we’re now entering a “Great Reshuffle,” where employee retention is improving and workers are no longer leaving the workforce. Instead, they’re reassessing their current roles in search of more fulfilling pursuits, like starting their own businesses, finding better pay or more flexibility in a similar job, or making a career change altogether.

At the heart of it all is a job shift where work is starting to collide with personal values and life choices.

Many employers have started addressing this issue by offering more financial perks: higher pay, bigger signing bonuses, upskilling opportunities, and other solutions.

But it hasn’t worked as well as they’ve hoped.

We talk a lot about managing the mental health of employees, but what about the mental health of managers in your organization?

After all, they’re also employees, and with the challenges they have to deal with, it should come as no surprise that managers are struggling just as much as the people they lead.

Employee wellness platforms are most valuable if they’re flexible and can adapt as your company goals and employee needs evolve over time. Just because a platform has all the bells and whistles doesn’t mean it will still be relevant in five years—or even one year.

Among the essential factors to consider when choosing a corporate wellness platform is the ability to integrate with additional health and well-being partners. The more seamlessly you can integrate your platform with other solutions your business will need, the more effective your wellness program will be.

A successful wellness program isn’t as simple as just communicating company benefits and offering a few additional services—especially in today’s work environment where it’s a challenge keeping employees happy where they are.

Instead, effective wellness programs have to be designed to meet employees where they currently are and where they will be as they progress on their wellness journeys.

This means your wellness program should never be static.

In our webinar “Why Personalization is the Secret to Your Wellness Program Success,“ WellRight Chief Medical Officer LouAnne Giangreco, M.D. talks about common barriers health plans face when creating personalized wellness programs—and how engaging the right mix of stakeholders improves offerings and demonstrates value to employers.

As companies consider a systematic approach to wellness program development where stakeholders are engaged, they must account for equity. Are they considering the needs of every member of the employee population? How can they leverage qualitative and quantitative data, have conversations within teams, and build out new programs? Are those programs truly applicable to the needs of diverse groups so everyone can participate?

In this blog, we’ve highlighted four ways to garner interest and engage stakeholders.

In the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ most recent Consumer Expenditures Survey, health care costs made up 8.4% of the average American household budget.

When you pay that much, you don’t want to waste a dime. That’s why employees are becoming increasingly discerning health care consumers, seeking out care and resources that work for their unique needs.

How can you help employees effectively curate their health care for optimal results … without getting too involved in their health care decisions?