As humans, we’re social animals; most of us crave daily interaction. Connecting with others on a physical and emotional level can improve our health and overall well-being. In the office, we get that social interaction and a joint sense of purpose. But it’s different when we work remotely.
For the most part when we work remotely, work becomes transactional. We join virtual meetings, tackle the agenda, and quickly move on to the next task, usually with minimal breaks. We’re not having the casual, day-to-day interactions that occur naturally in an office environment—like a quick chat by the coffee machine or a spontaneous lunch outing. This is, in part, why remote and to an extent hybrid working is fueling loneliness, stress, and other mental health concerns.
If you’re adapting the hybrid work model for your organization, you’ll need to be intentional about creating space for the human as well as the business.
A Quick Look into Hybrid Workplace
Employees today consider their personal lives and their jobs to be equal priorities. So, they’re often unwilling to compromise one for the other. That’s why 63% of high-performing companies have adopted the hybrid workplace model.
A hybrid model gives employees the flexibility they need to balance work and life responsibilities. And if the numbers are anything to go by, hybrid workers are more focused, happier, and productive. In fact, they’re constantly more engaged than their onsite counterparts, which correlate to higher performance and productivity.
However, the hybrid setup also introduces new challenges, particularly to employee well-being. Research shows that those working remotely or in hybrid roles reported feeling more stress and anger than their colleagues who work onsite full-time. Meaning that it can take a toll on their mental well-being.
What Are the Challenges of Hybrid Workplaces?
Most employees cite loneliness as the biggest struggle with working remotely. Without spontaneous interactions, they tend to feel isolated, disconnected from their team, and less integrated with the company culture. As face time dwindles, screen time grows, increasing the sense of separation even more.
Hybrid working blurs the lines between work and home life, leading to employees feeling like they’re always ‘on,’ which can potentially lead to burnout. Stress might also come from managing different work expectations and environments or from feeling that one must perform at higher levels to prove that their work-from-home days are productive.
It’s also not uncommon for employees to feel pressured to always be available online, even after a full day’s work. Sometimes, they want to prove that they aren’t taking advantage of working from home. Other times, it might be due to the anxiety around proximity bias, which is the tendency of people to favor the ideas of those physically closest at hand.
How You Can Help
Most people believe it’s now the employer’s duty to encourage well-being in the workplace. A majority of employees think that employers should do more to address the mental needs of their workforce.
Thankfully, there are many things you can do to help create a supportive environment that prioritizes mental health. Here are a few ways:
Help Them Live their Best Lives with Their Definition of Balance
One of the most common misconceptions leaders have about hybrid work is that employees want to mix their personal and work lives during the day. But surprisingly, about 50% want to work within a specific time frame and do other activities before or after work.
This matters because when your team is not working the way they prefer – meaning if they prefer to mix, but the work requires them to split (and vice versa) – they’re less engaged, more likely to report burnout, and more likely to be actively searching for a new job. So, you need to understand what your employees want before you develop a solution. Otherwise, productivity and mental health are both at risk.
Integrate a Digital Wellness Platform
Your team might work remotely, but this does not mean they always have time for a healthy break. As an employer, it might help to integrate a wellness program into your company culture. The good thing about these programs is that they can be offered to accommodate hybrid teams wherever they are located. They also offer a broad set of corporate wellness classes and services to match the diverse needs of your employees. This means your team can access educational seminars, meditation, cardio fitness, cooking, dance,, yoga,, health fairs, massages, and so much more with a click of a button.
Ensure Your Employees Feel Cared For
You may feel as though your company cares about your employees, but that does not matter if your employees feel like you don’t. If your well-being strategy is centered around programs that only a few people use, it means there’s a disconnect between your company’s efforts and your employees’ actual needs or perceptions. To bridge this gap, survey and communicate with your employees to learn what it is they want from a wellness in the workplace program.
Make Good Use of the Physical Time
The attraction of the hybrid work model is that it allows teams to come to the office occasionally. Make the most of the physical time you share. Don’t make it all about meetings—also carve out some time for the team. The one-on-ones need to be intentional.
Fitness and Wellness Programs at Goomi
The most important thing you need to remember about culture is that it’s not about location. It’s about the people. When your team feels heard, respected, valued, and supported, regardless of their location, when trust exists, the result will be a culture in which every employee thrives.
May is Mental Health Awareness Month—a perfect time to focus on enhancing well-being in your workplace. You can partner with Goomi for a variety of fitness and wellness programs. Our programs are carefully tailored to meet the unique needs of your company’s employees, community, and culture.
Don’t let another month pass without taking action. Contact us today to set up a wellness program that fosters a healthier, more productive workplace environment. Your team deserves the best, and Goomi is here to deliver just that. Let’s make mental health a priority this May and beyond with Goomi.
