When it comes to the workplace, the only thing as important as client happiness is employee happiness.
We know that employees who have had recent events that make them happy (even tiny things like a funny video), experience an average of a 12 per cent increase in productivity. The inverse is true; tragedy or disappointing events make employees less productive. More importantly, it’s simply the humane thing to make sure that the workers at a company are cared for and work in positive conditions.
Technology helps
In a large way, the simple operating choices an employer chooses to implement have a major impact on the wellbeing of the employees. More efficient choices will help streamline the work employees have to do and will help them focus on doing excellent work, not just on trying to merely get the work done.
Steve Forbes, Chairman and Editor-in-Chief of Forbes Media, articulated it well at the Castlight Enterprise Healthcare Summit in 2014: “What is the difference between … us today and people living in the Stone Age thousands of years ago? … We know more. We have more knowledge. And for markets to work, you need information.” He also pointed out that technology will help us move towards a “truly patient-centric system.”
Not only does technology help endeavors like enterprise healthcare focus on patients; it helps these organizations focus on their employees. By seeking the help of a value-based care consultant, enterprise companies can provide more effective insurance packages to their employees with greater coverage for risk management based on data. Achieving transparency through accurate analytical reporting and claims auditing saves time and money for these companies while lowering the stress level for employees and helping them operate more efficiently.
Monitor wellbeing
It’s not up to an employer to babysit employees, but it is an employer’s responsibility to ensure that adequate healthcare services are available and included in their healthcare coverage. Depression can not only lead to poor work performance but also a degrade in the cohesiveness of teams and their ability to succeed.
Thus, it makes sense individuals and organizations alike are paying greater attention to mental and physical wellness. If an employee exhibits signs of the flu, for instance, he or she needs to see a medical professional. The same is true of bodily injuries or other diseases, even if they aren’t contagious.
This extends to mental health as well. It may not be as immediately apparent as a physical issue, but an employee’s headspace is integral to his or her quality of work. An employee with a bad temper or who is constantly falling apart may create a tenuous environment for everyone else, and managerial intervention becomes imperative.
Of course, there are different kinds of emotional and psychological situations, and they must all be handled uniquely. If an employee has had a bereavement, it is humane to allow him or her a few days off to grieve, make funeral arrangements such as locating necessary cremation services in New York or to travel. A good employer will know that the person’s grief may last a long time, so some sadness won’t be out-of-place.
If, on the other hand, an employee is exhibiting signs of severe mental illness, such as deep depression, lashing out, or signs of addiction, it may be in the employer’s (and afflicted employee’s) best interests to ask the worker to leave, either temporarily or permanently, and go seek help. (On the other hand, a person dealing with mental illness should not become a workplace pariah; something like generalized anxiety disorder can be treated, either with talk therapy or medication or both. Sometimes the person just needs a push to go seek that help.)
Ultimately, happier employees are better employees. Updating the workplace for maximum efficiency and simply keeping an eye out for the team can go far in creating a healthy and productive environment.
