How Best Workplaces Are Creating More Well-Being for Employees in 2024

In the immediate aftermath of the pandemic, employee well-being became a top priority for company leaders.

What builds well-being for employees?

A study published in the Industrial Relations Journal found that most well-being programs — from apps and relaxation tools to classes in time management and financial health — had no positive effect on employee well-being.

“If employees do want access to mindfulness apps and sleep programs and well-being apps, there is not anything wrong with that,” William J. Fleming, the author of the study told The New York Times. Instead, Fleming says that addressing core practices around scheduling, pay, and performance are more important for employers who hope to drive better well-being outcomes.

What does drive better outcomes for employees? Offering a high-trust workplace culture.

In a study with Johns Hopkins University, Great Place To Work identified five elements of the employee experience that drive higher levels of well-being:

1. Mental and emotional support. It matters if you can maintain a positive outlook, even in the face of adversity. Within an organization, optimism and positive energy build into what is called “psychological capital” — a reservoir of goodwill that companies can draw on in hard times.

2. Sense of purpose. Nearly half of respondents in the 2023 market survey (46%) said they did not have meaningful work. In John’s Hopkins research, this experience gap is key in explaining why only one in six employees globally are “flourishing.”

3. Personal support. Mangers can affect employee well-being — for better or worse.

4. Financial health. If you are worried about money, other aspects of well-being suffer. Great workplaces are increasingly focused on financial health, offering tools and programs to help employees build a strong financial foundation.

5. Meaningful connections. Employee well-being hinges on how connected workers feel to their colleagues and to management. In the Johns Hopkins study, 25% said they feel lonely at work and 30% said they do not feel a sense of belonging.

What sets the 100 Best apart?

Most companies have well-being initiatives, offer health benefits, and provide an employee assistance program.

What, then, are these companies doing to produce better outcomes? Here’s what Great Place To Work has found:

1. Ask questions to identify barriers to well-being

The Best Workplaces ask simple questions:

• What do you want?
• What do you need?
• What would be meaningful to you?

These questions will uncover roadblocks that prevent employees from thriving. Even better, the roadblocks are often simple to remove. Actions that we see increasing the number of employees that use well-being benefits include:

• Not requiring a receipt for reimbursement
• Providing 100% coverage for mental health benefits
• Bringing health care providers to a work site
• Adjusting schedules to make time for wellness activities
• Making services available after hours

2. Get innovative ideas from your employee resource groups

Employee resource groups (ERGs) are important sources of information for organizations, and can be helpful partners when trying to roll out a new program.

Some companies will create employee councils to focus on well-being.

3. Align benefits to the needs employees share with you

What makes a successful well-being benefit? The only metric that should matter is how employees feel about it.

“Because of the stress of transitioning, emotionally and physically, the financial support from an employer makes a huge difference,” shares DeAnne Aussem, well-being leader for U.S. and Mexico.

What will have the biggest impact will depend on the specific needs of your people. Employee surveys and other listening programs are crucial to collect feedback.

4. Connect well-being to business performance — and make leaders accountable

The professional services leader believes that when employees are healthy, with meaningful work and strong connections to colleagues, they are more productive.

5. Take action to influence the big picture

An individual’s well-being is affected by more than their workplace. World events and personal tragedies impact every employee in your organization.

The 100 Best acknowledge this reality, in both group settings and in one-on-one interactions. Employee communications channels provide accurate, unfiltered information and offer empathy when employees are facing a dark time.