A company’s most important assets are the people who do its work each day. Ensuring that employees are happy, healthy, and feel secure is critical to the success of any business. Existing employee wellness programs often focus on nutritional of fitness goals, which are usually something employees think about regularly. For example, 94% of employees report feeling stress at work, this clearly has a major effect on employee wellness, but stress is often not a primary focus for wellness programs. In turn, these programs are often underutilized because they appear inauthentic to employees.
Instead of a wellness program, a well-being program may have more effective results. Employee well-being programs focus more holistically on how employees generally feel and what they genuinely need. Employees are demanding it, and as author Glenn Llopis puts it, “employee well-being is non-negotiable.”
With employees working in the office and remotely in the new hybrid work model, it’s become more difficult to keep a pulse on employee well-being. By fostering an environment where employees feel secure enough to share what they truly need, remotely or physically, a well-being program can quickly help reduce workplace stress—if employers adapt to changes in the talent agenda.
Fostering a Place of Well-being
New territory has emerged for both employers and employees. The global pandemic has reshaped perspectives on public spaces, confining many of us to our homes. Employees will be reluctant to return to “BAU” (business as usual.) For many, the hybrid work model will be essential, and workers will split their time in the office and working remotely. Employees are busy working from home while balancing kids and pets—often at the same kitchen table. For the first time, employers have no choice but to be empathetic to obstacles in employees' personal lives—helping them navigate new workflows that accommodate their needs. Certainly, no one has time to worry about whether an elevator button has been sanitized. It’s a recipe for disaster when it comes to employee well-being. As workplaces reopen and facilities again welcome guests, it’s critical that FM and CRE leaders ensure that employees and visitors never feel their safety and security is imperiled.
Making a Place of Well-being
By providing outstanding service and exceptional facilities, FM and CRE leaders can ensure that employers and employees have time to focus on what they need. In the next normal, a major part of this will be ensuring a clean, hygienic, and safe environment for people to work.
Consistent comfort will continue to be an important aspect of workplaces as well. Business leaders can employ an integrated facilities management (IFM) program to achieve this. For example, fault detection and diagnostics (FDD) will minimize downtime of major assets by performing preventative maintenance instead of reactive repairs—avoiding lost comfort during peak times. By monitoring assets with FDD, boilers will always keep guests warm and chillers will always keep them cool.
Our technical services increase data collected from building assets in other ways, too. Sensors in high traffic areas reduce anxieties about cleanliness will real-time data, while reducing the use of chemicals in areas less traveled. The insights gained from an IFM program will help buildings meet sustainability goals and reduce energy use. Employees will feel safe and maintain expected productivity.
Another important aspect of a positive workplace experience that could improve well-being is eating lunch at work. For many, the old, buffet-style food programs are simply no longer attractive. To meet new customer expectations for sanitary, hygienic, and safe food practices, ISS quickly pivoted to new ways of delivering plated food to employees and guests in our facilities. Food fuels people, andby providing great food in a safe way, employees will be more energized and productive.
FM and CRE leaders must look to the future as well, and structure services to evolve with workplace expectations. This will include changes to cleaning routines that increase visibility and transformingfacilities into no-touch workplaces. As buildings continuously evolve to create safer, stress-free environments, so will the well-being of the employees and guests who visit each day.
Our Commitment to Making Great Places
Our placemakers are dedicated to the highest standard of quality and at ISS, they have the tools and resources to delivercleaning services that meet or exceed that standard each day. ISS ensures your facility operates at its best with our IFM offering by employing and training our own people instead of subcontracting. This allows us to ensure that your buildings are operated bypeople who care.
ISS is more than a service provider—we work with you as a strategic partner, and we understand that great places are at the heart of your well-being program. Let us keep the lights on until your return to office.Tell your employees to take their time.
Interested in learning more about employee well-being in the hybrid workplace? Get in touch with one of our workplace experience experts, follow us for more insights, and try out our Four Metrics for Evaluating Workplace Experience to get started.
