Why employees expect a holistic employee wellbeing model during (and after) a pandemic

I never would have predicted that I would spend the start of 2020 working from my living room, sharing a workspace with my husband and two young sons. Needless to say, finding a way to focus on my own wellbeing was critical because I knew it would be a big piece of getting me and my family through each day.

Prior to the pandemic, part of my personal wellbeing involved weekly escapes to a hot yoga class where I enjoyed peace and quiet away from my kids and home. Without a studio, instructor or routine, it would have been the easiest thing to give up but I quickly found that our HR team had already identified ways to help my colleagues and I maintain and even improve wellbeing through a variety of programs and initiatives... yoga being one of them!

By taking a holistic approach to our employee wellbeing model, one that’s proactive, personal and inclusive, our HR has been quickly able to adapt a number of initiatives to help support our wellbeing when we need it most. 

I’ve found the same across many of the HR leaders I’ve spoken with – it’s an exciting opportunity to be at the forefront of improving the employee experience, no matter where people are located, through wellbeing. 

For instance, one of my favorite purchases this pandemic has been new running sneakers. Since I can’t escape to a yoga studio, getting outside to run (even in the snow!) has become a huge part of my wellbeing. Just simply using our employee discounts program to save money on new sneakers has led to me searching for videos on running tips and techniques on our Wellbeing Center. I’ve also bought a new yoga mat since I have actually been practicing more yoga than prior to the pandemic. 

This is all part of our own holistic wellbeing strategy, which I’ve seen many HR leaders adopt – Reward Gateway defines a holistic wellbeing strategy as one that is personal, proactive and inclusive - it considers how your people would best benefit from wellbeing initiatives throughout their everyday lives in a continuous way, rather than being reactive and only having a tick-box approach. 

During the COVID-19 pandemic, this has become all the more urgent as we’ve seen employees at all companies of all different sizes and industries struggle financially, mentally and physically as their environments have constantly changed. 

Client Spotlight: MacMillan Cancer Support

That’s why we’ve been excited for our teams to help clients like MacMillan, who has 2,000 employees in the nonprofit sector, help boost their overall EVP and improve morale with a renewed focus on wellbeing. With nonprofits being hit especially hard financially and employees experiencing increased stress as a result, MacMillan made the mental and physical wellbeing of their people one of its biggest priorities throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the first month after launching the Wellbeing Center to give employees full access to hundreds of videos and articles on improving physical, mental and financial wellbeing, it has received more than 1,000 views.

Employees from every demographic are accessing the wellbeing videos, with a mix of frontline nurses, remote and furloughed staff that are looking for ways to access resources to help them, at a time that suits them best from wherever they might be.

MacMillan has been able to promote the Wellbeing Center so employees can access it directly through a tile on its employee engagement platform, Top Banana’s homepage, or from the navigation so it stays top of mind.

How Reward Gateway supports employee wellbeing pillars

We can help you build the right wellbeing strategy for your unique employee demographic through a variety of programs we offer to our 2,500+ clients. Here’s a snapshot of how we support financial, mental and physical wellbeing pillars at work: 

Supporting wellbeing isn’t just a nice perk anymore for employees, it’s an obligation for HR to fulfill ways to help these basic human needs, especially when our people need it most. 

Plus, improved employee wellbeing is proven to lead to healthier, happier, more productive employees with reduced absenteeism across the business, with one study pointing to 56% of employees who have a wellness program in place taking fewer sick days than those that don’t. 

By redefining your approach to employee wellbeing to include as many of these pillars and tactics as possible, employers can give their employees the education, support and tools they need to be better versions of themselves both at home and at work – no matter where 'work' might be, or how it continues to change.

My personal wellbeing is more important than ever before so I will continue to keep running and yoga as part of my daily routine along with the videos and resources Reward Gateway provides for exercise and support.

If you need help thinking through your holistic wellbeing strategy or want to know more about how Reward Gateway can help, please get in touch with us: