8 Workplace wellness trends to watch out for in 2022
8 Workplace wellness trends to watch out for in 2022
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1. Conquering fatigue
If there’s one thing we’re all feeling after two years of pandemic pressure, it’s fatigue. Employers and employees have weathered immense change and stress, and – even though there might be some light at the end of the tunnel – at the moment, Covid’s grip on us is harder than it’s ever been.While the heightened fear and anxiety may have lessened with
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1. Conquering fatigue
familiarity – pandemic fatigue and burnout has really set in. In 2022, employers will need to use tips and strategies to conquer this sense of exhaustion, which may be a driver of employee absenteeism. Refreshing mindsets and providing safety nets will be key. Not sure where to start? Consider supplying your team
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1. Conquering fatigue
with an employee assistance program (EAP), which provides confidential counselling services to your team.
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2. Occupational satisfaction
One of the biggest events to shake up the last twelve months has been the Great Resignation – a phenomenon that has seen millions of people make a move from their workplaces in search of new opportunities.While everyone has a different reason for doing this, including a lack of opportunities, or appreciation at their current
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2. Occupational satisfaction
workplace, there is plenty of evidence to suggest that there has been a shift in how we think about occupational satisfaction. According to research from Gartner on employee attitudes, 65% of workers are rethinking the place that work has in their life. Occupational satisfaction, or occupational health, can be defined as how fulfilled you are
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2. Occupational satisfaction
by the work that you are engaging with. It measures how strongly you associate with the values, beliefs and goals relating to the work that you do.This year, the why of workplaces will become much more important. If employers do not create a values set and mission that resonates with their employees, they may see more disengagement and movement.
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3. Workplace hyper-personalisation
The workplace of the past has always been a static thing. Employees fit into the designated workspace and the five day, 9-5pm working structures. The workplace has been built around the traditional needs of the industry, as opposed to the ways that individual employees work best.
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3. Workplace hyper-personalisation
In 2022, we’ll see a shift away from a one size fits all approach and shift into what experts call a ‘workplace hyper-personalisation’ mindset. Gartner’s Aaron McEwan (one of our HR leaders to watch in 2022) recently spoke with the ABC about this emerging trend. “The balance of power has shifted towards employees. They’ve got a golden
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3. Workplace hyper-personalisation
opportunity to say, ‘This is what I want from this job. To what degree can you meet me here?’” Elements up for negotiation or discussion could be anything from working location, working times, management style, communication style and benefits. It’s all about giving employees a greater range of choice.
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4. Fostering belonging
Diversity and inclusion needs to be an essential part of any workplace HR function. While we always need to be interrogating discrimination, internal biases and exclusion within our workplaces, we need to go one step further to create equitable workforces.
When a person feels a sense of belonging in their workplace, they feel comfortable being
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4. Fostering belonging
their authentic selves. When a business has a company culture that embraces all of its workers, employees are more likely to engage. Everyone benefits from this increase in diverse thought, problem-solving becomes easier, and the team can achieve an overall better sense of wellbeing.
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5. Mindful working for mental health
How many times have you read (or written) a job ad that puts ‘multitasking’ as a must-have skill? Even though we try to multitask with the best of intentions, the practice actually hinders performance and leaves us vulnerable to greater human error.
Mindfulness has been a hot topic around stress management and mental health
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5. Mindful working for mental health
for the last decade or so. When you do something mindfully, you give your entire focus to it. You build greater awareness of the distractions that pop up, and are able to keep your attention fixed on the task at hand.What does this look like in practice? You might help employees resist email addiction, reduce notifications
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6. Parental wellness programs
The pandemic put the struggles of working parents in the spotlight. As they juggled working from home during lockdowns and childcare, the pressure and uncertainty that they sustained were insurmountable. This stressful time illuminated many questions about work-life balance, caring responsibilities and the overlap of personal
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6. Parental wellness programs
and professional life.In 2022, workplaces will be giving greater consideration to parental wellness than ever before. Considering their individual needs, build a program around the pillars of flexibility, empathetic leadership and a culture that celebrates family life.
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7. Local socialising
As the Omicron peak passes and the pandemic (hopefully) fades into coexistence with our daily lives, workplaces will once again consider the role of in-person interactions. How can we fulfill a sense of social connection and wellness but retain the benefits of remote working? How can we support employees with ‘remoteliness’ without returning to the rigid 9-5?
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7. Local socialising
At Employment Hero, we take a ‘remote-first’ approach to work where we ‘work remotely and socialise locally’. This means that the bulk of our employees’ work can be done remotely, but we meet up in local teams to enjoy time together.Making the most of key opportunities to socialise – like at the end of the year or EOFY, for team retreats, for
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7. Local socialising
celebration lunches when we hit goals and targets – helps remote workers keep a sense of connectedness and build team relationships. The time we spend together is so much more meaningful than it would be if we were forced to work in the office every day.
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8. Financial health
Financial stress is one of the most pervasive threats to emotional wellness out there, and the mental health impacts can be severe. Struggling financially can cause depression, anxiety and withdrawal from working life. People can also experience financial stress secondhand, it’s actually the leading cause of relationship breakdowns.
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8. Financial health
Wellbeing programs designed to relieve financial stress levels of the ongoing pandemic will be a major trend this year. Just a couple of ideas for this include; virtual appointments with a financial advisor, engaging the services of a Financial Wellness Officer, using a program like Employment Hero’s Discounts to offer savings on everyday
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8. Financial health
items and sharing savings tips in weekly newsletters.