Human resources and welfare professionals say helping employees maintain their health and wellbeing was a much higher priority in 2020.
78: Percentage of HR and benefits professionals who report that helping employees maintain their health and wellbeing was a significantly higher priority in 2020
Many more HR and welfare professionals are focusing on employee health and wellbeing amid COVID-19 pandemic disease, according to a new study of 300 welfare directors at companies with 5,000 or more employees with Artemis Health, a data analysis company.
What it means for HR managers
Health and well-being has always been a priority for HR managers, but with the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic disease, it has become more important than ever. Employers and HR leaders, often seen as gateways to employee health, have implemented new strategies and benefits to help keep employees healthy and safe in the midst of the pandemic. . Scores of employers updated their wellness programs, added new benefits and focused on employee mental health, which has been exacerbated by the many challenges associated with COVID.
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The Artemis study also found that the number of welfare leaders who identified employee health improvement as a key objective was doubling from 2019 to 2020: 61% said their main employee welfare goal in 2020 was improving health and well-being. employee wellbeing, up from 36% in 2019. Other welfare priorities for the next 12 months include improving employee satisfaction and participation (55%), increasing employee productivity ( 49%), and strengthening cost control / benefit capping (43%).
“Employers are increasingly aware of their role in an employee’s physical and mental wellbeing,” said Grant Gordon, CEO and co-founder of Artemis Health, noting that many directors benefit of focusing on measuring the health effects of the pandemic, such as stress, delayed care and increased use of telemedicine.
The Kathryn Mayer HREbenefits editor and chair of the Health & Welfare Leadership Conference. She has covered accolades for the best part of a decade, and her stories have won several awards, including the Jesse H. Neal Award and honors from the Association of Business Publishing Editors of America and the National Women’s News Federation. She holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Denver. It can be reached at [email protected].