Stress... tension... anxiety... pressure. All of these words have very similar meanings, often putting extra pounds of worry on people that causes mental and physical , whether subconscious or not. Looking back at previous articles this week, as well as my own personal experiences, makes me wonder why the gaps are so large in wellness programs. Throughout all the different companies I've worked under, not one has seemed to understand wellness to such a benefit as what is in the articles mentioned here. From Jones' findings on "The Most Desirable Employee Benefits," the ones most mentioned that employees want are either better insurance (whether dental, vision, or health), flexible hours, or more vacation time overall. If I had seen any of these benefits offered at any of my employers, chances are I would have stayed with them longer. Whether it was based on the insurance taking too much out of my paycheck, or not being able to take enough time out for myself and my family- and not feeling like I was going to be punished for it- I constantly felt like I had to look over my shoulder, waiting for the next stone to fall. My most recent (and current) manager has been able to work with each employee better on the hours, but even she is limited as to what she can do by her bosses and the HR department. Whatever is offered here is not very much, and still doesn't do much to help the individual with work-life balance or employees' well-being. From another perspective, an author on Forbes- Dr. Brower looks at some of the best tips to help others- creating a company culture, creative solutions, as well as looking at parenting, caregiving, mental & physical health- and what they, as a company, can do to help employees with each of these where appropriate.
As far as myself and my career, I know I can work on some things to help myself with stress management and getting burned out- honestly my problem is consistency. I can start a few things several times and still struggle with getting myself to follow through. As that will help myself work towards better relationships in the workplace or at home, companies overall can also work implementing programs to help their employees.
Brower, Tracy. "Wellness And The Future Of Work: Some Of The Best Companies Share Their New Solutions." https://www.forbes.com/sites/tracybrower/2021/03/14/wellness-and-the-future-of-work-some-of-the-best-companies-share-their-new-solutions/?sh=5ecedef53577
Jones, Kerry. "The Most Desirable Employee Benefits." https://hbr.org/2017/02/the-most-desirable-employee-benefits
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