The Great Resignation: useful ways to improve wellbeing at work

Worried about wellbeing at work? Supporting employee wellness is important now more than ever, with talk of the ‘Great Resignation’ making waves across the globe. But what is it? And how can Kiteline Health help your business?

The great resignation has been coined to refer to predicted mass resignations in the wake of the pandemic. With more businesses now asking their people to return to the office, and with employees faced with returning to a pre-pandemic normal, many are re-evaluating their career options. Kiteline Health’s bespoke health coaching, manager training, learning modules and wellbeing courses are here to help.

How big is the problem?

Why is there talk of mass resignations — dubbed ‘The Great Resignation — and is the problem really as big as it seems?

A sudden exit of core staff from industries - also known as a ‘talent drain’ - will undeniably have a negative impact on UK businesses. But how big is the problem, really?

A recent survey of over 30,000 international workers by Microsoft revealed that 41% were considering quitting or changing careers this year. Additionally, HR software firm Personio also found that 38% of UK and Irish workers planned to quit in the next 6-12 months. The reasons are varied, but ultimately boil down to the issue of employee wellness, motivation, and engagement.

As businesses look to recover from the painful impact of the pandemic, unfortunately, a singular focus on people strategy to some degree has fallen down the list of priorities. This is understandable, given the financial strain of the COVID-19 crisis.

So, what’s triggering the talent exodus?

According to Personio, there is a “worrying disconnect'' between employers’ perception of what is causing staff to hand in their notices and their employees’ reality. The survey suggests that a deeper understanding is needed around staff’s needs, problems, and priorities in order to solve this problem.

HR leaders and business decision makers are more than right to consider reasons such as pay cuts or a negatively skewed work/life balance are what's causing workers to look for pastures new. However, in our recent round table discussion, our expert health coaches concluded that a pressurised and unempathetic workplace culture is largely what’s responsible for many resignations.

Often, it is a negative culture that existed in a pre-pandemic world. An employee may realise that they will soon be returning to this pre-pandemic ‘normal' and this has made them want a change of pace. After all, the world has changed and priorities have altered since March 2020 for many families.

You can watch our latest roundtable episode on resumption or return to work anxiety, where our expert health coaches, Laura Steventon and Ruth Saunders, dissect the issue with Kiteline’s Kirstie and Emma. They take a deep dive into employee wellbeing and set out what organisations can do to keep their people happier, healthier and more productive in the workplace.

Why employee wellbeing is important

Did you know that 39% of HR decision makers don’t cite people strategy as one of the top business priorities, currently? This statistic may seem surprising, but over the past eighteen months, many businesses have been in crisis mode.

The focus has rightly been on putting out metaphorical fires before the situation gets out of hand. With customers and clients unable to support businesses in the same way as before, many organisations have struggled and profits have taken a hit.

The majority of businesses have tried all in their resources or power to support their employees during this challenging time. However, now restrictions have been lifted, it is vital that employee morale is maintained and nurtured.

Employee wellness, a boost in morale, and positive engagement is a key way of preventing a talent drain and productivity drought. Some of the business benefits of employee engagement are:

• Greater work satisfaction
• Higher levels of productivity
• Better retention rates
• Clearer and more candid conversations
• Better morale and work relationships

These are just a few of the benefits. You can read more about the benefits of positive employee wellbeing further on out homepage.

How can Kiteline support businesses?

At Kiteline Health, we are dedicated and passionate about wellbeing. To us, it's personal. No, we mean that quite literally!

We understand that everyone's experience at work and everyone's health journey is different. For some people (particularly those who experience chronic illnesses, such as diabetes, IBS, cancer, arthritis and chronic pain -- find out what conditions we support here), managing symptoms and flare ups at work alongside a challenging, pressurised working environment can be exhausting. This results in higher rates of sickness and absence, and generally affects the morale and workloads of the entire team.

We want to support employers and employees to have better, more productive and proactive conversations about their health.

Here are our tips to boost employee wellbeing at work:

1. Offer wellbeing training: much like First Aid Training, at Kiteline Health, we can offer your business Wellbeing First Aid Training. We can also offer line manager training which is designed to better manage people affected by long-term conditions. Educating and supporting people's understanding is key to creating an open, trusting workplace culture.
2. Broaden access to employee options: Employee Assistance Programs are great. But for some people, they aren't quite enough. Especially after the trauma and stress of the pandemic, more options are needed to cater to everyone in an organisation at all levels. After all, talking therapy or counselling isn't for everyone! That's why our virtual health coaches are the ideal solution. As the sessions can be customised on a 1:1 or group basis and delivered remotely, businesses of any size or budget can provide this valuable offering to their people. Home workers, hybrid workers, and people who work onsite can all use the virtual coaching, meaning it's accessible for all.
3. Focus on mind-body solutions: People have busy lives and complex needs. It is important that workplaces offer solutions that go beyond traditional therapies like counselling, EAP, or occupational health referrals. Our lives don't stop when our day's work ends. Our solution focuses on diet, exercise, sleep, symptom management, and more!

Kiteline Health offers flexible and sustainable options for UK businesses to help create positive workplace cultures and for employees to make realistic lifestyle choices and lasting behavioural change. This means that people are genuinely happier, healthier, and therefore more productive both at work and at home.

Want to find out more? Sign up for a free trial today.