NOVEMBER 2019HR TECH OUTLOOK8In My OpinionThere is no doubt that focus on employee wellbeing in the workplace raises eyebrows for a variety of reasons and often much debate. The debates often are around, does workplace wellness work? To this I ask, what does "work" mean to you as it relates to improving employee wellbeing?Professionals in the field of employee wellness understand that wellness is not just about improving the physical wellbeing of the population. When looking at a population's health, we must take into consideration matters such as social determinants that may influence the health of a populationat any time in the lifespan. Workplace wellness should not just be about achieving 10,000 steps a day or eating sufficient amounts of fruits and vegetables. This isn't to say that physical movement and eating healthy isn't an important factor to overall wellbeing. However, wellbeing, has much more depth and breadth to it. For instance, if we are financially struggling and dealing with a parent with dementia and a chronically ill child, chances are one doesn't much care about the step goals for the week. A workplace wellness program MUST understand these types of real-life encounters that employees are dealing with, or could be dealing with, at any given time and how can we help them to navigate through.And although sometimes an uncomfortable topic, we must make mental health part and parcel of any workplace wellbeing program. The stigma around depression, anxiety and other mental health disorders is real and often prevents employees and others from seeking treatment. The data is readily available and supports the need to make mental health a focal point of any workplace wellness program. One in 5 adults will experience a diagnosable mental illness in a given year. Depression is one of the most common mental disorders. Globally, more than 300 million people of all ages suffer from depression andis the leading cause of disability worldwide and is a contributor to other chronic disease, such as heart disease and diabetes. The facts simply tell the story of why we must include mental health as an integral part of any workplace wellness initiative. So, let's revisit the conundrum. Does workplace wellness work? Does your workplace wellness initiative address mental health in the workplace? Have you provided education around signs and symptoms? Have you coached management in recognizing signs and symptoms of depression and other mental health disorders? Are frontline supervisors able to listen The Does Workplace Wellness Work ConundrumKim A. Hauge, PHR, SHRM-CP, CWP, Director Employee Wellness, Kent State UniversityByKim A
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