Working @ Well-Being™ Solution

We asked industry thought leaders about the importance of well-being in the workplace. Here is what they shared:

Why Should Leaders Focus on Well-Being?

"As of October 2021, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that 4.3 million Americans, or 2.9% of the entire workforce, quit their jobs in August. During the last year and a half, people have had time to reflect and have put greater weight on their well-being. As a leader, you must recognize that well-being has ethical, safety — as well as financial — implications and that the only way you can ensure a safe workplace is by demonstrating through your actions that employee well-being is important to you."
Rajni Walia, Ph.D., Vice President

"Leaders that truly care about keeping workers from harm do not distinguish between physical hazards that can injure a worker and stressors at home that can impact that worker’s capacity to even come to work. Leaders concerned with only the bottom line will recognize that performance requires the whole worker — the body and the mind — to be fully present at the job. Ignoring well-being places this performance and organizational results in jeopardy."
Michael Mangan, Ph.D., Vice President

"By focusing on well-being, leaders and their organizations demonstrate care for employees, allowing them to focus on higher-level needs, both personally and for their organizations, and to foster organizational citizenship."
James Grant, Vice President

What's the Connection Between Well-Being and Safety?

"Well-being and safety are inextricably linked. Well-being issues, such as stress, health, or even inclusivity, can have a direct link on exposures in the workplace, increasing the vulnerability to injury. For example, if you’re under a period of chronic stress (even from nonwork pressures), your ability to focus on the task is impacted, increasing your propensity for error and injury. Alternatively, strains and pains from work or frustrations from poor or hazardous work designs have long-term impacts on the individual’s psychological and physical well-being."
Michael Mangan, Ph.D., Vice President

"Well-being considers the full spectrum of the employee experience. Do I feel good about my relationships? Do I feel good about my work? Do I feel positive about my organization? Well-being supports high organizational functioning, which drives excellence and the level of safe behavior that occurs across the organization. This is a strong exposure-control mechanism and ensures positive employee experience."
Rebecca Timmins, M.S., Senior Vice President

"Think of the last time you weren’t feeling well, and ask yourself whether you were you able to think clearly? Were you able to process information at the same speed as if you were feeling good? Simply put, if employees are not well, it is a huge risk to their safety, as well as the safety of those around them, as they will likely not recognize hazards nor will their brain alert them of an exposure. Furthermore, an employee who is not well will likely be impacted by several brain-centered hazards, like fast brain functioning and divided attention, affecting visual recognition, memory, and resulting in fatigue."
Rajni Walia, Ph.D., Vice President