Pulse August / September 2023 | Page 54

Harter identifies some alarming trends in employees ’ perceptions of whether their employers value their wellbeing , drawing from studies in the U . S . and Europe :

Only about one in four U . S . employees feel strongly that their organization cares about their well-being . This percentage has been trending down since it peaked at the start of the pandemic . Gallup has found similarly low numbers in Germany , France and the U . K .

This finding has significant implications now that work and life are more blended than ever before . According to Gallup research , those who prefer remote work cite reduced commute times , flexibility for their family and their well-being as some of the key reasons .

Then at the onset of the pandemic in 2020 , employers responded quickly with plans , communication and what many employees believed was genuine concern for them . And the percentage who felt their organization cared about them nearly doubled , reaching a high of 49 percent in May of that year . But since 2020 , the percentage has plummeted to the previous low levels .

Harter ’ s article in Gallup also looks to answer “ why it matters ” by citing additional report findings . He shares the following statistics for “ employees who strongly agree that their employer cares about their overall well-being , compared with those who don ’ t ,” saying this group is : l Three times more likely to be engaged at work l 69 percent less likely to actively search for a new job

In 2011 , long before the pandemic , about the same percentage of U . S . employees strongly agreed that their employer cared about their overall well-being ( 21 percent ).

SPA LEADERS WHO PRIORITIZE team members ’ wellness may wish to identify and offer employee benefits that will help to decrease stresses and promote balance . Writing for Forbes earlier this summer , Brian Menickella asserted “ it has become more critical than ever for companies to understand what their employees genuinely value .” He concluded that , “ by offering a diverse range of benefits tailored to individual needs , employers can promote employee satisfaction , loyalty and engagement .”

Menickella found that “ benefits now encompass many offerings that support employees ’ well-being , financial stability and personal growth ” and identified “ The 7 Most In-Demand Employee Benefits Right Now ”: 1 Retirement savings and financial wellness programs 2 Insurance Coverage 3 Flexible work and PTO arrangements 4 Professional development 5 Health and mental wellness programs 6 Family financial assistance 7 Housing and legal assistance

52 PULSE n AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2023