re-thinking wellness in the workspace 🌱

because happy teams = 27% less sick days (and way less drama) 🎭

January 16, 2025

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Happy Thursday HR friends!👋

Today we’re pondering wellness programs that work🧠 

Ok so your teams are happy, well compensated but how are they feeling about their work/life balance?

A well planned and executed wellness program can work wonders here!

We hope this sparks some ideas, and we’ll have more HR insights for you at the start of next week!✨💪

In Today’s Edition

🌿 The Wellness Revolution Your Team Actually Wants


🛋️ The Break Room: Wellness in Your Workplace


📚 Human Readsources: German employers distrust workers' sick leave claims, JP Morgan requires five-day office attendance, US job growth strong but future uncertain.


Because they don’t just do this for the 💵

Mad Men The Suitcase GIF by Vulture.com

Mad Men really needed an HR department…

Most workplace wellness initiatives are about as exciting as watching paint dry. In fact, only 11% of employees actually use them.


With burnout hitting record highs and top talent demanding new and thoughtful ways to support them (in and out of the office), it's time to level up your wellness game.


The upsides are obvious. Companies with top notch wellness programs are seeing 26% lower healthcare costs and 27% less sick days. 💪


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🌿 The Wellness Revolution Your Team Actually Wants

Traditional wellness programs (you know, the ones with dusty posters about taking the stairs) are officially dead. Today's employees want meaningful support for their physical, mental, and financial wellbeing.


And with stress levels through the roof, it's no wonder only 11% of workers engage with standard wellness offerings.


And just in case you missed it,companies with strategic wellness programs see a 27% reduction in sick days and 26% lower healthcare costs. So getting it right could be an excellent iniative for you to tackle in Q1.


Of course these stats are music to your board's ears, but it's not just about ROI - it's about creating a culture where wellness isn't just permitted, it's expected. Think group fitness classes during lunch breaks, mental health days that nobody side-eyes, and financial wellness workshops that don't put everyone to sleep.


Ready to transform your wellness program from meh to amazing? Start by surveying your people about what they actually want (spoiler: it's probably not another step-counting challenge).


Most importantly, get leadership visibly involved.


Because nothing kills a wellness initiative faster than executives who preach self-care while sending emails at 2am (there's one in every company right?!). 🤷‍♀️


🔗 Relevant links

👀 TLDR

Ditch the dusty wellness posters - modern programs that actually work combine physical, mental & financial support (with the stats to prove it 📊). Time to give your team the wellness perks they'll actually use!

⚡ Takeaway and Try

  1. 🎯 Run a quick pulse (Teams or Slack is fine to start) survey asking "What's one wellness perk you'd actually use?" Trust me, the answers might surprise you (and save you from investing in that fancy meditation pod nobody asked for).

  2. 🗣 ️ Get your leadership team to share their own wellness wins and struggles. And if possible, examples of things they loved at previous companies. When the CEO admits they're doing morning yoga to manage stress, suddenly it's not so "weird" to take that mental health break.

  3. 📊 Track your current sick days and productivity metrics now - you'll need this baseline data to prove ROI later (and convince your CFO that wellness isn't just feel-good fluff).

  4. 🎮 Turn one existing company ritual into a wellness moment. Monthly team meetings? Add a 5-minute stretch break. Weekly updates? Start with a quick gratitude share.

  5. 💪 Create a "Wellness Wednesday" Slack channel where employees can share their favorite stress-busters, healthy recipes, or workout tips. Zero budget required, maximum engagement potential. You can even chip in with a budget to make your next company offsite "wellness-first".


📚 Human Readsources

🏢 German Firms Spy on Workers Taking Sick Leave (HR Katha) - German employers hire detectives to verify employee sick leaves.


⚖️ JPMorgan Mandates Five-Day Office Return, Following Goldman (HR Dive) - JP Morgan mandates five-day office return, following Goldman Sachs.


📊 US Jobs Surge 256,000 as Unemployment Hits 4.1% (HR Dive) - December 2024 job growth strong at 256,000; unemployment drops to 4.1%


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Thanks for reading to the end and we hope today’s edition sparked some new ideas for your workplace! 🧠

We know you’re super busy and really appreciate you letting us into your inbox a few times a week. 😀

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