Employee Wellness Newsletter: On the Road to Employee Well-Being

In today's fast-paced and often stressful work environment, employee well-being is a critical component of a healthy and productive workforce. As organizations strive to attract and retain top talent, foster a positive company culture, and boost overall performance, prioritizing employee wellness has become a key strategy for success. 

A well-crafted employee wellness newsletter can play a vital role in this effort, serving as a powerful tool for promoting healthy habits, reducing stress, and improving the overall quality of life for employees. By sharing valuable resources, expert advice, and engaging content, wellness newsletters can help employees feel seen, heard, and supported, ultimately driving business outcomes and contributing to a happier, healthier workforce.

In an article published in December 2023, Dan Witters, Research Director of the Gallup National Health and Well-Being Index, highlights how physical health plummeted after the Pandemic. The percentage of U.S. adults classified as obese by Gallup has reached 38.4%, while diabetes has reached an all-time high at 25.1%.

Being unwell is stressful, so it isn’t surprising that poor well-being is associated with burnout. In a Gallup podcast, Witters states that the impact of well-being extends far beyond how people feel. It affects how many days employees take off sick, as well as their job performance, odds of burnout, and likelihood of leaving their organization. Leaders who want to attract and retain star talent need to prioritize well-being and take steps to create a thriving culture.  

“People with poor well-being are vastly more likely to report that they’ve experienced significant burnout in their jobs than those with high well-being.”

Dan Witters

There are many steps organizations and their managers can take to improve well-being. But that’s not what we’re going to focus on today. Rather, we are going to explore the benefits of employee wellness newsletters.

[cerkl-cro-widget template_id="6"]

What Is Employee Wellness and Why Is It Important?

Employee wellness goes beyond gym memberships and healthy snacks. It's a comprehensive approach to fostering the physical, mental, emotional, and social well-being of your employees.

Mercer’s Global Talent Trends 2024 focuses strongly on employee wellness and well-being. A few specific takeaways show how employees feel about it, emphasizing why it’s so important.

• 45% of C-suite employees believe investing in physical and mental well-being initiatives will boost productivity in their organization.
• 46% of employees would be willing to forgo a 10% pay increase in exchange for additional well-being benefits (the top response) and 41% cited increased employer contributions to retirement/savings programs.
• When asked what they expect from their company on sustainability, the employees’ top priority was offering minimum health and well-being benefits to all workers — yet only one-third of organizations have done so.

The evolution of the employee/employer relationship is another valuable takeaway from this report. It shows how this relationship used to be a transactional loyalty contract designed to retain employees. This covered basic needs including pay and benefits. Then, it developed into an engagement contract that was work and workplace-centered. At this stage, it expanded to meet psychological needs including achievements and camaraderie, and rewards were broader. 

The current focus, says Mercer, is “thrive contact” that considers the whole person and well-being needs:

• Purpose, equity, impact 
• Healthy experiences in exchange for a commitment to organizational renewal
• People and machines working together for maximum value creation

Then, there’s a future focus that they predict. It will be a lifestyle contract or life experience (LifeX). Well-being needs will expand to embrace the fulfillment needs of choice, connection, and contribution. There will  be more flexibility in terms of rewards and employability, and there will be a focus on “long-term people sustainability.” 

The Rising Concern of Employee Burnout

Burnout is a growing concern. Nearly a third (32%) of respondents in Mercer’s study said that unless organizations reduce employee burnout they will be exposed to “considerable risk.” They identify the main driver as money. 

“Employees spend, on average, six hours of work time per month worrying about their finances, the top driver of burnout risk this year.”

Mercer

But there are other reasons. Another 32% feel overwhelmed by the increase in tech tools, and 20% feel at risk because their values don’t align with those of their employer. 

Infinite Potential’s The State of Workplace Burnout 2024 states that 38% of participants in their study were experiencing all three dimensions of burnout. While overall well-being continues to fall., their research shows the percentages have stabilized. But burnout affects everything. 

“Burnout isn’t just a buzzword; it’s a productivity killer. Burnout decimates productivity and quality of work. Those who are experiencing burnout report lower productivity and poorer work quality compared to their non-burnt out counterparts. It’s not just a slight dip – it’s a freefall of inefficiency and subpar outputs.”

Infinite Potential 

Stressed and overworked employees experience decreased productivity, higher absenteeism, and lower morale. Investing in employee wellness programs can be a game-changer, leading to a happier, healthier, and more engaged workforce.

Deloitte’s The wellbeing crisis is a crisis of leadership focused on organizational crises around mental health and burnout. They say the problem is getting worse. 

This may be so, but something to consider carefully is the link between well-being and burnout. The Mercer study found that employees with disabilities were 94% more likely to suffer burnout than the other 79% who weren’t “thriving” at work. 

“People with poor well-being are vastly more likely to report that they’ve experienced significant burnout in their jobs than those with high well-being.”

Dan Witters

Internal Communication Tool to Improve Well-Being

In case you haven’t guessed, this is the employee wellness newsletter. 

Investing in employee well-being or wellness programs can be a catalyst for change. Reward Gateway’s Workplace Wellbeing: Where to focus in 2024 states that while pay is key, 44% of employees believe that a company that cares about their well-being is more important than a 10% pay raise. These are very similar figures to those Mercer published. 

But Workplace Wellbeing goes on to add more context. Their survey asked what would have made employees leave their jobs in 2023. There are 10 answers:

1. 61% — poor pay
2. 42% — being overworked
3. 34% — lack of employee benefits
4. 31% — poor company culture
5. 29% — lack of clear, honest communication
6. 26% — lack of financial, physical, or mental well-being support
7. 25% — lack of flexible working opportunities
8. 23% — lack of confidence in the team leadership
9. 21% — lack of reward and recognition for efforts
10. 18% — lack of advancement opportunities or professional development

So, the question is, how can you change the game? 

A well-designed employee wellness newsletter can be a powerful tool for promoting a culture of well-being within your organization. But you need to ensure you include the right content and make it visually pleasing to maximize employee engagement. Taking the main employee pains into account is a good way to start. In this case, a lack of financial, physical, and/or mental well-being support is the line you need to pursue and emphasize.