New research from Ibec’s workplace wellbeing accreditation programme, KeepWell, highlights the growing importance of workplace wellness in the post-pandemic era. A survey it recently undertook of 1,000 people found that nearly seven in 10 respondents felt workplace wellness had become more important to them in the past two to three years.
In addition, 28 per cent are seeing increased investment and focus on wellbeing from their employers, with a further 30 per cent noting a moderate rise in efforts.
That said, 35 per cent of respondents believe their line managers are still not adequately trained or supported to prioritise employee wellbeing, a significant gap.
Interestingly, the survey shows that flexible or hybrid working arrangements are now seen as a critical factor in overall wellness, with 68 per cent of employees citing hybrid or flexible working arrangements as essential to their wellbeing.
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Indeed, more than one third (35 per cent) of respondents say they would leave a high-paying job in favour of one that offers hybrid working.
Although the feedback was generally consistent across genders, the survey did find some gender-based differences in relation to workplace wellness initiatives, with men (62 per cent) more likely to favour physical wellness supports compared to women (43 per cent).
Moreover, nearly two thirds of women value company support for mental wellbeing, compared to just over half of men.
As a former human resources executive who worked in the fast-paced technology sector, Katie Donovan, founder of Align Wellness in Dublin, knows the importance of prioritising wellness in the workplace.
Her business provides a range of wellbeing services, from sauna to breathwork, both to individuals and, increasingly, to corporate clients looking to foster employee wellbeing. Services are tailored to the working day with, for example, invigorating aromatherapy snowballs in the sauna to boost creativity and energy at the start of the day, and post-work evening sessions designed to help provide a good night’s sleep.
With saunas capable of holding up to 24 people at her premises in Harold’s Cross, it is particularly attractive to city centre-based teams.
Align has already built up a strong following for its breathwork classes, designed to help employees regulate their nervous system. That’s proving a foundational strength in today’s pressurised workplaces where resource gaps leave so many stretched to capacity, on top of our “always on” digital culture.
“So many of us are in fight-or-flight mode 24/7 and rushing here and there. I’ve been through it myself and would have suffered quite badly from anxiety in the past as a result of the kind of stress everyone suffers at different times in their life,” says Donovan.
“What we offer are tools to help us regulate our nervous system and get ourselves out of that mode.”
They are, she says, tools that can help ward off the kind of sicknesses that too much stress can result in.
“Too often, workplaces only offer wellness programmes that extend to things like medical check-ups and health insurance, things that really only kick in after someone is unwell. There’s nothing in there to support you along the way so that you don’t get to that stage,” she points out.
“Unfortunately, even gym membership isn’t going to help someone who is chronically stressed. Yes, exercise is a good stress manager, but if you are already at a stage where you are chronically stressed and your mind already jumbled, how good is a gym membership to you if you can’t even get yourself to the door?”
Stress doesn’t just impact your own clarity of thought, she adds, “It means you’re not working at optimal capacity and are not as productive, efficient or effective as you might be in your work. It’s why so many companies need to put more thought into their workplace wellness programmes.”
As part of its service, Align provides on-site wellness classes for a range of corporate clients. “It’s about teaching people the tools they can use every single day, consistently, that are beneficial for them,” she says.
“What teams need are leaders that are educated around wellness, who know how important it is, and who understand the benefits it brings to the individual, the team and the company.”
