The workplace looks very different than it did a year ago. Both in the office and on jobsites, enhanced health and safety guidelines are creating a new normal. The challenges of socially distant work environments are impacting employee needs.
Taking a fresh look at your company’s internal programs in light of this new reality can ensure that your team continues to feel supported and engaged. At Hourigan, we are taking the opportunity to recommit to our employees’ well-being. One aspect of this has been adjusting our employee wellness program, Thrive, to meet the evolving needs of our staff. We’ve taken a few steps to ensure that our employees have access to health and well-being resources from anywhere.
Anticipating needs
In addition to adapting to new ways of working and collaborating, many employees are juggling new challenges. A key part of enhancing Thrive was taking a step back to reassess what information and resources are most critical to our employees during a time of uncertainty. Thrive is built on our four pillars of holistic well-being: physical health, resiliency, financial health, and community. We decided to narrow that focus even more to concentrate on topics that emphasize self-care and cover financial security, mental health, and healthy eating.
Enhancing accessibility
In a time when employee wellness is more important than ever, increased remote access became a priority. Our wellness program typically involves regular in-person training and learning sessions. We moved from in-person training to webinars and pushed out on-demand and video resources via our Hourigan University training platform and company-wide Yammer channel. We also encouraged the use of our virtual employee assistance program and telehealth services.
Before COVID-19 became part of our daily lives, in-person events were a great way to enhance company culture and build rapport. It’s still possible to achieve these goals but it requires some creativity. A significant part of Thrive is volunteering within our communities. We have continued our service projects by providing opportunities to give back in socially distant ways, such as shoe drives and virtual road races with a cause.
Spreading awareness
While having employees spread across various offices and jobsites can always pose a communication challenge, working from home amplified this obstacle. Hourigan had to figure out ways to push out wellness information outside of its usual medium. From weekly emails and daily Yammer posts to sharing Thrive’s happenings in our company newsletter, we were able to increase awareness and get the information in front of everyone.
The great news is that increased awareness has resulted in a heightened sense of camaraderie and overall engagement among our employees. They are connecting more with each other and sharing their wellness experiences, and we are seeing higher participation than ever in webinars and the employee assistance program.
COVID-19 has affected the way we work and live, and it’s more important than ever to commit to our employees’ well-being. Although Thrive has looked different for us this year, we’ve been able to adapt and ensure our employees can continue to achieve their full wellness potential.
