Sometimes we run so hard, so fast, we don‘t look down to see we are actually on a treadmill. Take one step to the right, stop, gain perspective, and breathe!
“What I’m talking about is perspective” says Jon Chescoe from Ascension Benefits. Business leaders today are constantly trying to drive results with finite resources when the key to sustained improvement is the team, not just as a whole, but more importantly, on an individual level.
Work challenges are intensifying in the current and uncertain environment. To name a few, personal, relationship, family, physical and mental health concerns are becoming more apparent in the workplace than they were prior to the pandemic. That isn’t meant to imply they weren’t an issue before, they are just magnified.
It’s time to forget everything you think you know about employee benefit programs and start looking at what comes next.
Stress about relationships, physical health, financial turmoil and the future abound, and employers who want to remain preferred have to get with the program when it comes to employee health. “Employee benefits alone aren’t cutting it anymore because the general model has remained static for decades,” says Jon Chescoe, princi- pal consultant with Ascension Benefits. “If you compare that to the speed in which society has evolved, there are significant gaps.” Chescoe should know—after more than 20 years in the business, he has had plenty of time to discover what really counts in maximizing employee performance, and it isn’t what you think. A recent Gallup Poll says 84% of employees are disengaged, bored, and hungry for change in their lives. This directly affects corporate perfor- mance. To increase per- formance, you must address the specific needs of individuals within an organization. The results are compelling. “If you want to make yours a top-perform- ing organization, you need a clearly defined way to deliver mental health resources,” Chescoe says. “Helping employees stay healthy in and outside of work has a ripple effect.”
It pays well to take care of your employees, a new study finds.
Companies with mental health programs in place can earn a more-than-double return on investment (ROI), according to the study by Deloitte Canada.