The business of banking has become increasingly complex over the last few years. Today’s employees are feeling the pressure, reporting high levels of burnout and stress. According to a 2022 study by LemonEdge, 31% of financial services and banking professionals are planning to leave the industry due to stress, and 23% of workers are concerned about their health or mental health.

In the midst of this, it may seem like an extravagance to implement an employee wellness program. However, overlooking the mental health of your workforce is not an option in today’s competitive environment. Creating a culture of health is key to maintaining your business.

• Employees are four times more likely to be engaged at work when there is a strong health culture.
• 70% of employees cite health and wellness programs as making a company more attractive.
• 53% of employees cite health and wellness programs as a reason they stay at their job.
• For every $1.00 invested in health and wellness programs, a company saves $3.48.
  Source: Aon Insights

Worksite wellness programs support the health of your employees and your company. Your business will benefit from a more engaged workforce, fewer injuries, lower healthcare costs, less turnover and enhanced recruitment.

A Roadmap for Workplace Wellness

Building a successful worksite wellness program is a commitment, but will have a profound effect on your workplace. Ultimately, the goal is to engage employees so they are equipped with the skills, knowledge and motivation to create positive change. To get started, you’ll need to:

• Establish a wellness committee. A well-functioning committee is critical for building support and getting the work done. The wellness committee is responsible for assessing the needs and interests of employees, working with a budget, creating a vision statement, goals and objectives, developing an operating plan, and designing, delivering and evaluating the program.
• Get representation. When you develop your wellness committee, it’s critical to have representation from all levels of employees, across departments, shifts and locations. If you have multiple branches or locations across the region or state, they will all require representation. Consider gender, age and varying interests in health so all employees have a voice.
• Aim to create a culture of health. A workplace wellness team needs the capacity to change the workplace culture. There are many aspects of your business that can be explored in the process, including workplace culture, physical surroundings, employee benefits, communication practices and safety procedures.
• Focus on one thing at a time. It’s unrealistic to tackle it all at once. Rather, focus on one key initiative where you feel you can make the biggest impact. Learn from your wins and losses, and keep moving forward. Remember, it takes time to create change.

How to Target Stress and Burnout

Here are a few ways a worksite wellness program can target stress and burnout:

• Provide education. Encourage employees to attend seminars that center around mental health. You can bring in speakers, local experts, have in-person meetings over lunch or opt for virtual meetings. Here are just a few topic ideas:
  
  • Biometric screenings and health education on exercise, nutrition, sleep habits, time management and stress-reducing practices such as meditation.
  • Available resources and how to use them, such as how to find a therapist, use paid time off or access mental health benefits.
  • How to build better work relationships, such as how to manage conflict, reframe negative thoughts, stay organized and establish boundaries at work.
• Implement strategies. Incorporate new tactics or policies, such as allowing flexible hours or remote work, building in frequent breaks, offering healthy snacks, providing more opportunities for recognition, and encouraging walking breaks to reduce anxiety and stress.
• From the top, make mental health a priority. When leaders use the programs and policies in place and model healthy behavior, employees will feel safe using them. From large meetings to one-on-ones, every interaction is an opportunity to encourage employees to use the resources available to them.
• Role model and learn from each other. Encourage employees to find ways to share their success stories with one another. Especially when it comes to mental health, every testimonial is a chance to make someone feel less alone and more engaged.

Whether you are just getting started or already have a worksite wellness program, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas is here to help. Our team can provide consultations, wellness tools (online and app), educational sessions, biometric screening support, and health and wellness resources.