More than half of Colombians (57%) have to deal with work stress on a daily basis, being the country with the highest percentage in Latin America, where the registration is 56% and in the rest of the world it is 50%.
After what the pandemic generated impacts on the physical and mental state of people, providing support and contributing to the well-being of employees from various fronts is a challenge for companies.
In fact, 54% of employees who have access to mental health benefits through their workplace said they are less likely to leave the company versus 34% of those who don’t.
These are some data from a study conducted by MMB Health On Demand Mercer-Marsh Benefitswhich examined 14,000 employees in 13 countries, 1,000 of them in Colombia, explored the expectations of employees in this regard.
There it is shown that confidence in telemedicine, such as virtual meetings with doctors and wellness applications, has skyrocketed.
(Work stress, the silent enemy of business productivity).
More than eight in ten employees (82%) want to continue using these services to help them find and access health care, make appointments, communicate with their health care providers.
The pandemic has shown that supporting employees when it matters most has a direct impact on their well-being and outlook on life.
Nearly three in five employees (57%) who felt their employer was unsupportive during the pandemic viewed this crisis as a negative experience “Mostly” or “fully” compared to just 23% of those who felt supported.
In this studiosix in ten (64%) who reported receiving good support said their employer cares about their health and well-being, compared to less than one in six (15%) of those who only received poor or fair support.
This in turn had a positive impact on productivity and loyalty, with those who had good or very good support being significant. Nearly half (47%) of those who felt most supported said they benefited from creating a safe work environment.
About one in three (32%) received help setting up a home office and 27% were encouraged to engage in virtual social activities with colleagues. Nevertheless, this indicates that nearly three-quarters were not offered these resources and solutions, meaning that many companies have gaps that could be filled.
For the experts of Mercer-Marsh BenefitsAddressing these issues now will not only improve workforce engagement now, but also help companies prepare for future crises. Embracing this trend and providing digital options can make healthcare more accessible to your entire workforce.
For experts there are many other opportunities to support them. Now, what moments are important for the workforce now?
People mention, the study says, flexible working, life events like marriage, the death of a loved one, and everyday occurrences like sick time.
It’s also important for organizations to lend a hand with life goals related to family planning and time to travel, or future crises related to, for example, identity theft or coping with a catastrophe.
FOUR PILLARS FOR WELLNESS
For a wellness strategy to be effective in organizations, it is necessary to work in a balanced way in all the dimensions of an individual. This encompasses four pillars of wellness: physical, emotional, social and financial.
