The top workplace wellbeing trends and insights to watch now
Here are our top learnings and insights into workplace wellbeing gleaned from the Workplace Wellness Festival 2021.
The Mentemia team were thrilled to take part in the biggest workplace wellness event in Australasia in June 2021 ⏤ the Workplace Wellness Festival 2021.
Sir John Kirwan and Dr. Fiona Crichton hosted a number of chats and panel sessions, and our team had the chance to talk to connect with many industry experts and people and culture aficionados on how we can all create real change in workplaces and improve people’s mental wellbeing globally.
Mental wellbeing and mental health were at the forefront of this event, and it was invigorating to hear so many people genuinely and openly join the conversation.
Normalising talking about mental health and wellbeing is the first step. To help you be inspired to take action and make change on an individual or organisational level, here are our learnings and insights from the event.
Here are our top takeaways:
Covid-19 and working from home have blurred the boundaries between our professional and personal lives.
Being an ‘always on’ culture is proving to lead to high levels of anxiety, stress, and other mental health issues.
Wellbeing programs need to work for everyone and account for diversity.
Wellbeing initiatives have got to be easy for people to understand, and have a whole company approach.
Workload isn’t the only thing that leads to burnout ⏤ it can be caused by a team environment.
Flexible working has many benefits but you have to invest in connection for it to work.
Everyone has a part to play in taking responsibility for workplace psychological safety.
Covid-19 and working from home have blurred the boundaries between our professional and personal lives.
“Most of us have now seen what our workmates’ bedrooms, lounges, and home offices look like. We have had kids, pets, partners, and family members pop on to Zoom calls. We have talked openly about our anxiety, stress levels, and mental health. This would have been unthinkable for many of us pre-pandemic!
In a fireside chat on empathetic leadership, Craig Hudson (Xero) and Jessica Yun (Yahoo) discussed how Covid-19 and the shift to working from home has meant that we have seen more of our colleagues’ personal lives than ever before.
Craig shared his thoughts on how in the "old world” we were meant to leave this stuff at the door, but now we’re telling people to bring their whole selves to work and recognising that these things add to the workplace.
I completely agree that this shift means we can understand each other more and integrate better as a unit in the workplace.” ⏤ Lucia Afanasy, Social Media and Communications Manager
Being an ‘always on’ culture is proving to lead to high levels of anxiety, stress and other mental health issues.
“Continuously long working hours have been associated with higher levels of stress and poor health outcomes. While this does not come as a surprise, the Covid-19 pandemic and shift to working from home has certainly exacerbated this for many people.
This has sparked the question of employees' rights to have the opportunity to disconnect and have access to flexible working options, discussed by Jenny George in the session on the right to disconnect.
In our modern, hyper-connected world, it’s more important than ever that we make time to disconnect. Flexible working also allows people to choose how this works for them, whether that’s making time for an afternoon gym session or micro-breaks during the day.” ⏤ Simone Fernandes, Content Manager
Wellbeing programs need to work for everyone and account for diversity.
“A standout point for me was that it’s vital to recognise that within any organisation there will be people who are at different places on the mental wellbeing continuum and therefore a one-size-fits-all approach to workplace wellbeing won’t be successful.
In particular, wellbeing programmes need to account for diversity and recognise that certain individuals and groups such as LGBTQI+ and BIPOC face greater psychosocial challenges than others.
With a one-size-fits-all model, it’s easy for people to fall through the cracks and, in particular, the people who might need or benefit from a programme the most.
A stepped-care model allows for different degrees of support or intervention depending on what an individual needs and therefore has a greater chance of improving overall employee wellbeing.” ⏤ Nicky Dewe, Content Strategist
Wellbeing initiatives have got to be easy for people to understand, and have a whole company approach.
“In a session delivered by Sir John Kirwan and Dr. Fiona Crichton, JK made the point that workplaces have got to make wellbeing initiatives easy and simple for their people.
The bite-sized approach makes it easy for people to understand and take action. But this has always got to be backed up by a whole company approach as well. It’s also hugely important to ensure things really work and are clinically sound.” ⏤ Ian Bishop, VP of Marketing
Workload isn’t the only thing that leads to burnout - it can be caused by a team environment.
“Workload isn’t the only thing that can lead to burnout. In Michael Leiter’s session on Workplace Civility, he discussed how you can become burnt out if you’re working in a team environment that doesn’t actively show respect for each other. This can be things like ignoring each other, or not actively showing gratitude or praising good work.
In his view, improving workplace civility can help, through teams learning how to express appreciation for each other to the point where it becomes automatic.
These things can easily be forgotten when you’re busy and in a high-pressure work environment, so it’s a timely reminder to make the time and effort to embed these practices into your team culture.” ⏤ Natalie Brookes, Email Marketing and Content Specialist
Suggested reading: Learn how to beat burnout with our new Courses
Flexible working has many benefits but you have to invest in connection for it to work.
“The research is in: flexible working can lead to an array of advantages for workplaces and their people. From improved retention, the attraction of talent, encouragement of diversity, increased productivity, and better employee engagement, the positives of well-designed flexible working arrangements are clear.
However, evidence shows benefits are more likely to be maintained when there is a clear plan to foster culture and protect wellbeing.
There are simple steps for leaders to help nurture employee wellbeing and sustain a strong company culture.
Checking in regularly to encourage self-care and chat about unforeseen challenges is a proactive way to promote wellbeing and address problems as they arise. When it comes to wellbeing make sure you are walking your talk – and leading the way by demonstrating to your team you are looking after your own wellbeing.
When flexible arrangements involve working remotely, it’s important to look at virtual ways to enhance fun and connection within teams. This can involve creating a designated place within your group chat for ‘water-cooler’ conversations or having virtual coffee catch-ups.
Setting small meaningful goals and celebrating success along the way can help to connect, align and engage remote or hybrid teams. Taking opportunities to build connection, hear feedback, and recognise achievement will help maintain a company culture where everyone thrives.” ⏤ Dr. Fiona Crichton, Clinical Team Lead
Everyone has a part to play in taking responsibility for workplace psychological safety.
“When it comes to workplace psychological safety, it’s absolutely crucial that leaders model mental wellbeing. Doing so gives their people permission to take time out when needed. If you’re a leader working non-stop and sending emails at 11:00 pm at night, you’re not creating a healthy or safe environment for your team.
We all need to take time out sometimes. It’s part of being human. And we all have a part to play in taking responsibility for workplace psychological safety. As well as talking the talk, we’ve got to ensure we walk the walk.” ⏤ Simone Fernandes, Content Manager