Well-Being Isn’t a Perk, Engagement Drop & Smarter People Plans - Apr 23, 2025

Hi again, HR Heroes! 💼 It’s Administrative Professionals’ Day — so let’s not just celebrate staff with flowers, but with real support! We’re diving into prioritizing employee well-being (yes, HR included!).

On the agenda: 

😉 Well-Being Isn’t a Perk: It’s the key to a thriving team…

🆘 Engagement Drop: A whopping $ 438B economic loss.

🤓 Smarter People Plans: A template to drive meaningful growth.

THE HR SPOTLIGHT

Well-Being Isn’t a Perk — It’s the Key to a Thriving Team

Focusing on employee well-being isn’t just a trend — it’s a necessity for the modern-day workforce. Studies consistently show that companies investing in well-being programs see reduced absenteeism, increased engagement, and stronger workplace morale. 🌱

Gallup’s report, for one, shows a big difference in companies with highly engaged employees, which is a strong indicator of the positive impact of well-being initiatives. 

The proof is in the pudding (or should we say, studies):

📈 18% higher productivity 
💰 23% higher profitability 
📉 81% less absenteeism

However, supporting employee well-being goes beyond offering wellness perks. The good news is HR leaders are uniquely positioned to lead this transformation. You hold the power to shape a thriving workplace. 

Take note of these tips to show your employees you care about their well-being: 

📊 Gather feedback - Conduct surveys and listen actively to employee needs. Do one-on-one meetings if needed to better understand those who need the support more.

📚 Facilitate accessibility of resources - Create more resources for supporting employees’ well-being and ensure accessibility. This could be resource groups, counseling services, health programs, and workshops on managing stress.

🤗 Foster a supportive workplace culture - Initiate training for empathetic leadership and create psychologically safe environments where employees can express their feelings without judgment.

🧘🏻‍♀️ Promote lifestyle balance - If possible, provide flexible work options and manage workloads effectively. Set clear boundaries for after-hours communication, and encourage employees to take breaks and use vacation time to destress.

As organizations navigate hybrid work models, economic uncertainty, and evolving employee expectations, well-being must be central to the conversation — not an afterthought. Investing in people isn’t just the right thing to do — it’s the smart thing to do.

Want more wellness ideas? See these 20 awesome Employee Wellness Activities to launch at work »

WEDNESDAY’S STEAL

Drive Meaningful Progress with this SMART Goals People Development Plan

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• Boost Engagement & Productivity: Streamline goal-setting and align employee objectives with company values.

• SMART Methodology: Craft Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound goals with ease.

• Foster Growth: Drive accountability, professional development, and a results-focused culture.

• Effective for Any Team: From startups to enterprises, nurture a high-performing workforce effortlessly.
  

This community promo ends April 25 — midnight EST.

TREND WATCH

Global Employee Engagement Decline — Costing the World's Economy $ 438B

Gallup - For the second time in the past 12 years, the global percentage of engaged employees fell — from 23% in 2023 to 21% in 2024, according to Gallup's latest State of the Global Workplace report. The primary cause was a drop in manager engagement: While engagement among individual contributors remained flat at 18%, managers' engagement fell from 30% to 27%.

The drop in global employee engagement cost the world economy $ 438B in lost productivity in 2024.

Read the full Gallup report »

🔥 When is Burnout Compensable? — Facts on workload stress and mental health that HR needs to know [HR Reporter]

🤫 Quiet Cracking: A Silent Workplace Crisis — A look at the effects of quiet cracking on employee engagement. [HR Digest]

🤖 HR Teams Grappling with AI Continuum — HR and business leaders are grappling to determine who or what is doing which work? [HR-Brew]

🕊️ Stabilizing labor market shines hope anew - Signs of economic momentum may push back against the effects of rising expenses. [PersonnelToday]

🏆 The 2025 Winners of the HR Tech Awards — See the winners and finalists with their ground-breaking tech for HR. [LHRA]

HR WISDOM

Employee Wellness Programs for an Engaged Workforce

Employee wellness is more important than ever before. 🌱 Jobseekers are looking beyond generous paychecks and into a business’s benefits and company culture to ultimately achieve a good work–life balance.

So, to drive results, you need to ensure that you create an engaged workforce through a culture of wellness. But how do you ensure that employees are happy? And at what expense?

Read the full article >>

BREAKROOM