Seeking a New Definition for Employee Wellness
BY Anna Maltby October 24, 2022What more can employers do to promote the wellness of their workers? Most of the good ones offer a lot already: health insurance, an allotment of sick days, maybe an annual charity fun run. Even so, employees need (and expect) more today, and companies are considering a more comprehensive, holistic definition of wellness. This evolving definition was the subject of a virtual panel at From Day One’s September virtual conference. Benefits leaders today are assessing the places where employers can be most effective at supporting their team’s wellbeing—and finding ways to align those needs with new solutions. Among the expert panel’s recommendations: Increase Engagement With the Benefits You Already Offer Many well-rounded companies offer a suite of stellar (and, frankly, pricey) wellness benefits but struggle to get employees to actually use them, said Kimberly Young, VP of global benefits and HR tech at Amentum, a government technology contractor. One effective strategy Young and her team have implemented is targeted, themed communication. “Just sending out multiple communications on a variety of topics doesn’t really drive engagement. What we’ve found successful is tying our communications to themes, like mammograms around Mother’s Day, or other topics tied to various things happening on the calendar,” Young said. “Not every wellness message is for every person at any time.” It’s a strategy also used by Kathleen O’Driscoll, VP of HR for global benefits, well-being and HR policy at Cognizant, the engineering and technology company. “For example, World Financial Planning Day is coming up,” O’Driscoll said. “You can take that day that might be getting some attention and then curate and talk about the different resources you offer that relate to that topic.” Enlisting employees to spread the word about benefits they’ve tried can make a difference as well, said Natalie Baumgartner, PhD, chief workforce scientist at Achievers, an employee recognition and engagement platform. “When employees inside organizations are modeling their use of resources and programming, that has a tremendous impact on the uptake of other employees making use of all the wellness services available to them.” Exploring a new definition of wellness, top row from left: moderator Anna Maltby, Will Peng of Northstar and Troy Heflin of Volvo Financial Services. Bottom row: Natalie Baumgartner, PhD, of Achievers, Kimberly Young of Amentum, and Kathleen O’Driscoll of Cognizant (Image by From Day One) Consider Expanding the Concept of Wellness Financial pressures are a major source of stress and an unsung contributor to health problems, said Will Peng, CEO and co-founder of Northstar, a provider of financial-wellness benefits. That’s why including financial benefits as part of wellness offerings is a helpful way to meet employees where they are, no matter their income level. “Finances have become one of the most foundational parts of wellness; they touch every part of our lives. It’s the foundation for emotional and mental well-being that allows employees to flourish,” Peng said. “But financial struggles can be overwhelming, and the financial services industry is quite complex. So the same way that you would want an employee to be able to see a doctor to treat an illness, people should be able to work with a financial professional to get guidance on financial wellness.” Help Managers Put on Their Oxygen Masks First During the early days of the pandemic, Troy Heflin, SVP of people and culture at Volvo Financial Services, and his team created a program called Leading with Care, a series of workshops designed to help HR leaders and other managers cope with stress and change. “In HR, we hear so much from our employees and the concerns they have–we’re carrying so much that we can sometimes forget about ourselves,” Heflin said. “I wanted to create a safe space where they could be vulnerable as leaders, since vulnerability builds trust, and really be in a community that supports each other in that effort.” During the Volvo workshops, participants work on activities such as author and educator Stephen Covey’s Circle of Concern and Circle of Influence, which helps them focus their efforts on areas where they can make effective change, among other opportunities to explore and share about what’s causing them stress. The result, Heflin says, is that leaders feel less alone in the ways they’re experiencing fear and stress, and they’re better able to model vulnerable, transparent leadership to their teams. Recognize the Role of Recognition. Don’t underestimate the impact company culture has on employee wellness. In her team’s research, Baumgartner found that employees who felt supported by their organization—and particularly by their managers—were more than twice as likely to feel physically and mentally healthy. The four factors that defined “support” were coaching and feedback, a clear line of development, contact, and meaningful recognition. Of those four, recognition was the most important. “Meaningful recognition, delivered at least once a month, has an outsized impact on the extent to which employees feel a sense of well-being and a lowered sense of burnout,” Baumgartner said. What makes recognition meaningful? “The research shows that simply saying, ‘Hey, thanks for closing that deal’ actually does not have much impact,” Baumgartner said. “It needs to be personal, it needs to be specific, and you need to talk about the impact the person’s work has had. For example, I could say to you, ‘Thank you for facilitating this session today. The way that you created connection points between the panelists and pulled out meaning for our participants was really powerful. I felt the way you led this session helped me fulfill my mission to have a meaningful impact on the lives of people at work.’” It’s hard to anticipate every possible employee need—and to help your team take full advantage of the supports available—but using what Peng called “a more empathetic, nuanced, and data-driven approach to understanding what our people actually need” will go a long way toward helping employees feel like their best selves, both at home and at work. Anna Maltby is an editor, content strategist, and exercise specialist. She has served as executive editor of Elemental, the health and well-being publication on Medium, as well as deputy editor of Real Simple and Refinery29.
How to Create a More Emotionally Intelligent Workplace
BY Anna Maltby September 30, 2022Read a stack of resumes and you’ll probably see lots of references to decision-making skills, leadership experience, and technical training. But increasingly, companies are prioritizing emotional intelligence (sometimes called EQ or EI) above many other traits. A new Harvard study finds that more C-suite job descriptions than ever before include keywords focused on social skills. That’s a good thing, says Liz Colizza, a licensed professional counselor and the director of research and programs at Talkspace, an online and mobile-therapy company. “Emotional intelligence makes for more clear communication and ensures that everyone’s voices are heard and problems are solved more easily,” Colizza said. Further, “emotionally intelligent people are more able to keep cool under pressure to resolve conflicts and make better decisions.” Research supports the idea that emotional intelligence is an asset at work: In one study, researchers administered an emotional-intelligence inventory test to 186 executives and found that those with higher EQs were more likely to helm companies that earned high profits. Another study found that employees with higher EQs tended to perform better at work and even experienced less burnout. So what is EQ, and why does it make such a difference at work? And–more importantly–what can be done to increase EQ within a company? Read on to learn more. Tapping Into Curiosity First things first: Emotional intelligence is not mind-reading. “You’ll never know exactly what someone’s really thinking and feeling,” Colizza said. Instead, it’s about perceiving, evaluating, and (when it comes to your own experience) controlling emotions. Though EQ has been described in countless ways, many experts break it down into five key components: self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skills. And the throughline, Colizza says, is curiosity. If we can approach both others’ point of view and our own experience with curiosity rather than judgment and hesitation, we can tap more deeply into what’s really going on, help others (and ourselves) feel valued and understood, harness strengths, and weather the storms of conflict and change more easily. Because of past experiences, cultural expectations, and even trauma, many of us have been taught to ignore or suppress our own feelings and keep others’ emotions at arm’s length, Colizza says. But what if we approached feelings in a more open-minded way? Think of it this way: You notice a colleague is looking a little down. What if, instead of, “Yikes,” your first thought is, “I wonder what they’re going through?” That’s an opening to a kinder, more supportive interaction—and it works when you’re going through something yourself, too, Colizza says: Instead of trying to ignore or shut down your own feelings of stress or burnout, what happens if you approach those feelings with open-mindedness and compassion? “Curiosity has to be at the foundation of self-awareness and empathy,” she said. “A lot of people want to be more empathetic and support other people, but we really can’t do that unless we’re empathizing and having compassion for ourselves and our own experience.” High-EQ Leadership Though the emotional intelligence of individual employees will always vary, an organization can grow its EQ overall by instilling emotionally intelligent leadership practices, Colizza says. A few ideas managers can consider: •Observe and wonder: High-EQ leaders pay attention to those around them. If someone doesn’t show up to a meeting they normally attend, or if their tone of voice or other behaviors seem different than usual, they check in (with, you guessed it, curiosity), Colizza says. It’s not an attack (“Why weren’t you at that meeting?!”), it’s a human-to-human conversation (“I noticed you didn’t make it to the meeting today and was curious to know if everything was OK. Is there anything you need?”) Liz Colizza, a licensed professional counselor and the director of research and programs at Talkspace (Company photo) •Let people in: While boundaries are important, and no one needs their boss to dump all their feelings out on the conference table, leaders who let people know how they’re feeling show that it’s OK not to be a robot at work. Think, “I’m feeling nervous about the presentation next week. How are you all feeling?” Or even, “My toddler had a nightmare last night and I’m pretty tired. Anyone want to do a coffee run?” •Give others an opening: One way to get people talking is to ask an open-ended question at the start of each 1:1 meeting with direct reports, Colizza says. Questions like, “What are you excited about right now in your position?,” feel supportive and intentional. •Give yourself grace: Managers who welcome feedback and show they want to improve set an important tone. “When you can recognize that you’re not perfect, and you don’t have it all together, you’re so much more freed to accept people giving you feedback and not feel threatened by it,” Colizza said. “You’re less likely to overreact.” That’s a valuable skill for anyone in an organization. Emotionally Intelligent Policies At an even higher level, companies can infuse emotional intelligence into the way they do business–instituting policies, benefits, and procedures that facilitate the whole team feeling seen and valued. Some Colizza recommends: •Review the review process: Performance reviews that are approached with emotional intelligence (on the part of both the manager and the employee) tend to be more helpful and lead to feedback actually being implemented in productive ways. Ensure your company’s reviews are done at regular (but not overwhelmingly frequent) times, and train managers on how to give effective feedback. Offer employees an overview of what to expect, too (perhaps highlighting that everyone gets notes on how to improve), so they’re prepared to receive feedback in an open-minded way instead of taking it as an attack. •Consider mental health-friendly policies and benefits: Show employees the company is there to support them as a whole person by offering mental health benefits and personal days–and remind people that it’s important to take their vacation days. •Acknowledge life outside the workplace: During the holidays, back-to-school, or any other time of year when some employees may be under additional stress, HR or leadership can consider reaching out to all employees to let them know HR or their manager is there to help if they need extra support, Colizza suggests. And when difficult, upsetting things are happening in the news, “a lot of good comes from managers even just naming that,” Colizza said. “Something like, ‘We just want to recognize that this is happening in the world, and it may be weighing heavily on people. Please know that I’m here if you need support,’” she suggests. It’s also a time to remind them of mental health and other benefits they can take advantage of. Essentially, Colizza said, “emotional intelligence at its best is our ability to use our emotional experience to move toward being a more integrated person–and to connect to others in successful ways.” Anna Maltby is an editor, content strategist, and exercise specialist. She has served as executive editor of Elemental, the health and well-being publication on Medium, as well as deputy editor of Real Simple and Refinery29.
Since It's OK to Talk About Mental Health, What Should Employers Say—and Do?
BY Anna Maltby May 15, 2022The Covid-19 pandemic was not just an assault on physical health. It helped trigger a cascade of mental health challenges, as well. According to the World Health Organization, in the first year of the pandemic alone, rates of anxiety and depression increased by 25% worldwide. Yet at the same time, perhaps because of the ubiquity of suffering, the stigma around mental illness is beginning to dissipate. Nearly 90% of Americans in a poll said they believe having a mental health disorder is nothing to be ashamed of, according to a survey from the American Psychological Association. So with more strain on mental health, and people feeling more open about broaching the subject, how can employers best support their team? Experts discussed this question and more in a From Day One webinar titled, “Since It’s OK to Talk About Mental Health, What Should Employers Be Saying—and Doing?,” for which I served as moderator. On the panel were Jackie Bassett, director of people strategy at UChicago Medicine; Shauna Harrington, senior director of outreach and executive talent at VSP Vision; Tamika Simpson, care advocate lead at Ovia Health; Rachel Tyler, HR business partner at Houston Methodist; and Pamela Berman, chief talent officer for North America at Publicis Health. What Has Changed? A cultural shift began to occur even before the pandemic, with many employees becoming much more open about discussing mental health, Berman said. “It wasn’t that long ago that employers and employees just never talked about mental health or mental wellness. In the last two and a half years, younger employees maybe just coming out of school were much freer about, say, whether or not they’re seeing a therapist–much more liberal at talking about it.” And with the added stressors of the pandemic, mental health quickly became a topic employers couldn’t afford to sweep under the rug. For one thing, the experts explained that the epic surge in workers leaving their jobs for better work situations has contributed to widespread understaffing, requiring many employees to essentially take on multiple jobs. For another, added stressors at home–particularly the precarious nature of child care in a pandemic, Simpson noted–have made it difficult to be fully present at work, and have led many working parents and caregivers to worry about their performance and growth opportunities. A panel of experts speak on mental health, top row from left: Pamela Berman of Publicis Health and Rachel Tyler of Methodist Health System. Middle row: Tamika Simpson of Ovia Health, moderator Anna Maltby, and Shauna Harrington of VSP Vision. Bottom: Jackie Bassett of UChicago Medicine (Image by From Day One) In the health care industry, workers are under added stress because of the widely reported pandemic-related strains on the system, among other factors, Tyler and Bassett noted. And finally, while the option to work remotely has come as a welcome source of both Covid safety and flexibility for those who have it, sitting in front of a computer at home all day can be stressful for both the mind and the body, Harrington said. Unfortunately, employers aren’t always innocent here: Expecting full productivity during difficult times, ignoring the realities of pandemic life, and not moving quickly enough to provide employees with the resources they need to reach their goals–all these lapses can contribute to stress and burnout, the experts said. How Should Employers Respond? Thankfully, many smart policies, benefits, and other resources can help companies support their teams’ mental health, respond appropriately when mental health concerns arise, and ease some of the most common stressors that affect employees. It’s not just the humane thing to do, the experts said–it’s a strong investment in the health of the organization. Bassett cited a recent University of Chicago study that found for every dollar an employer spends on mental health treatment, the company sees an average return on investment of $4. The experts shared a wealth of ideas, including: Upgraded employee-assistance programs (EAPs) with a concierge service to help employees seamlessly find a mental health professional Presentations and webinars to help employees understand the mental health benefits available to them Free counseling sessions made available to employees and their entire households Text-based counseling programs Bonuses to help hourly employees with unexpected costs during periods when they aren’t able to work Eliminating co-pays for mental health services Financial wellness services such as student loan forgiveness to help ease financial stress Flexible time off policies Weekly or daily check-ins as a team and one-on-one meetings with managers, making it clear that it’s okay to discuss stress, self-care, and any needs for additional support or flexibility Hiring contract staff to support understaffed teams In some cases, a combination of time-off and stress-relief policies come together as a comprehensive solution. At Ovia, the company offers unlimited paid time off for employees, as well as mental-health days, said Simpson. “Another thing that I really enjoy personally is no-meeting Wednesdays. It’s pretty simple. It’s a very easily enforced policy, but it allows for that heads-down time, really focusing, not having your day broken up by meeting after meeting. Just little things like that can really make a huge impact in the mental health of the employee,” she said. Finally, the experts agreed that equipping managers with information and training on how to appropriately discuss mental health and self-care with their employees—and what benefits are available to them—is critical. It’s a balance: “We have to partner with our leaders and managers to help them recognize signs of burnout and check in with their team,” Tyler said, “but we’re not expecting them to pull a theoretical couch into their office” and attempt to take on the role of a mental health professional. The key, the experts said, is to keep things professional while still tapping into empathy, normalizing self-care, and encouraging folks to take advantage of the benefits and policies available. Anna Maltby is an editor, content strategist, and exercise specialist. She has served as executive editor of Elemental, the health and well-being publication on Medium, as well as deputy editor of Real Simple and Refinery29.
The Next Step for Fertility Benefits: Covering All Genders
BY Anna Maltby April 10, 2022Infertility is on the rise, and employers are taking notice that their workforce needs support along the sometimes-rocky road toward building a family. One 2021 survey found the number of large employers offering “family-building benefits” (which includes fertility treatments and adoption support) grew by 8% in the last year. And according to another survey, 68% of adults would switch jobs to gain fertility benefits. But traditionally, discussions about fertility and even fertility-related benefits have defaulted to heteronormative and female-focused assumptions, essentially ignoring the experiences of male-factor infertility, single would-be parents, and many LGBTQ+ relationships. As workplaces work toward becoming more inclusive, looking at which employees their fertility benefits include—and, intentionally or not, exclude—is a critical step, experts say. It’s a process Tammy Fennessy, director of benefits for American Eagle Outfitters, knows firsthand. After being approached a few years ago by a handful of employees about financial barriers in the fertility process, Fennessy realized just how inequitable her company’s offerings had been: “We’re a very inclusive company, but there was zero coverage for men experiencing infertility. Every part of me was screaming, ‘Wow, this is not right!’” she said. “We started immediately looking at what solutions we could put into place to support parents, in any way you wanted to become a parent—it didn’t matter if you’re LGBTQ+, male, female, transgender.” Fennessy discussed her experience alongside five other experts in “The Next Step for Fertility Benefits: Covering All Genders,” a webinar hosted by From Day One, for which I served as moderator. Also on the panel were Jaime M. Knopman, M.D., reproductive endocrinologist and director of fertility preservation for CCRM Fertility; A’Leta Dover, senior manager of benefits and well-being for Integer, a medical-device manufacturing company; the Rev. Stacey Edwards-Dunn, PhD, founder of Fertility for Colored Girls; Jon Waldman, author of Swimming Aimlessly, a memoir and guide based on his own experience with male infertility; and Brooke Bartholomay Quinn, chief customer officer of Carrot, a leading provider of employee fertility benefits. What Are Inclusive Fertility Benefits? To understand the importance of inclusive fertility benefits, it’s helpful to understand the world of family-building options in general. Traditionally, the panelists noted, people associate “infertility” with a married, cisgender, heterosexual couple having trouble conceiving because of an issue with the woman’s fertility. But even within couples that fit that criteria, male-factor infertility is rising sharply. About one third of infertility cases among straight couples stem from male factors, one third from female factors, and another third by both parties or unknown causes, but typical fertility benefits may not cover diagnostic tests or fertility treatments for men. Waldman said: “Men are really left out of the equation.” On top of that, many fertility plans require a certain amount of time of trying to conceive without success for employees to receive a diagnosis of infertility that qualifies them for coverage—which doesn’t at all apply to prospective single parents or those in a same-sex partnership, Dr. Knopman noted. “How are they going to [try for six months or a year]? They don’t have the opposite gamete! That makes absolutely no sense to me.” Speaking on fertility benefits, top row from left: the Rev. Stacey Edwards-Dunn, PhD, of Fertility for Colored Girls and Brooke Bartholomay Quinn of Carrot. Middle row: moderator Anna Maltby, A'Leta Dover of Integer, and author John Waldman. Bottom row: Tammy Hennessy of American Eagle Outfitters. (Image by From Day One) Benefit providers like Carrot take that diagnosis requirement out of the equation and aim to cover all paths toward parenthood, be it fertility care (including egg and embryo freezing), donor-assisted reproduction, or adoption, Quinn said. “When companies are thinking about their fertility benefits, I think it’s really [important] to go back to that word of inclusivity. There’s so many different paths, so really make sure the benefit is going to help address family-forming across your entire employee workforce.” The Emotional Factors Though the subjects of infertility and the family-building challenges of LGBTQ+ people are becoming less taboo and more support resources exist now than in the past, these experiences can still be extremely difficult emotionally, the experts said. Rev. Edwards-Dunn, who experienced infertility herself, said, “I know firsthand that the mental-health challenge that comes with [infertility] is very high. Infertility is isolating and can be very devastating. It impacts marriage and finances.” Having affordable fertility coverage, as well as coverage for emotional support, which is baked into programs like Carrot, is one thing employers can do to show support to their workers along their family-building journey, Rev. Edwards-Dunn said. Another is instituting policies that lend flexibility to those who need frequent medical visits during their fertility process, as well as time off after a pregnancy loss or unsuccessful IUI or IVF cycle, she said. Jaime Knopman, M.D., contributed to the webinar conversation as well (Photo courtesy of CCRM) Maintaining an employee’s privacy is an important part of this equation as well, Waldman noted. “I’ve taken advantage of employee-assistance programs that are completely anonymous,” Waldman said. “It’s hard for men to talk about this, and those are the perfect solution.” How to Push the Conversation Forward As well-intentioned as a company may be, more traditional workplaces and leadership teams may hesitate to discuss topics like infertility and inclusive family-building, Dover said. The strategy she recommends: focusing the conversation on fairness. “I told my manager [a non-inclusive benefit program] isn’t fair, and it isn’t right. And fairness is one of Integer’s key values. He said, ‘You’re right. It isn’t,’’’ Dover said. Know that you have power to drive change for your benefits provider as well, Dover advised. Her company was using a national health-insurance carrier, and when she noticed the heteronormative language in their policy, she called to ask about it—and pushed them to consider making a change to include more employees. Even if you individually don’t cause a provider to change their language or policies, your voice makes a difference. In the end, providing comprehensive and inclusive fertility benefits is a way to align your offerings with your company’s values and increase employee engagement, Dover said. “That’s a holistic thing. It encompasses benefits, how your manager treats you, and [fertility benefits] would very much be part of that.” Anna Maltby is an editor, content strategist, and exercise specialist. She has served as executive editor of Elemental, the health and well-being publication on Medium, as well as deputy editor of Real Simple and Refinery29.