COVID-19 Continues to Affect Employee Well-Being
#evolve Magazine
July 18, 2021
Compiled By Mark McGraw

Employees who worked onsite before the coronavirus pandemic but are currently working from home are concerned about how returning to the office will affect their well-being, with 77% of workers citing being exposed to the coronavirus as their biggest source of anxiety, followed by less flexibility (71%) and commuting to work (58%).

Source: Limeade, Employee Care: Defining the New Normal




Employers’ biggest current well-being challenges are rising stress and burnout as well as higher mental health-related benefits claims, with increased caregiving demands (67%) and decreased social connections (61%) ranking as the leading drivers of mental health issues within the workforce.

Source: Willis Towers Watson, 2021 Emerging from the Pandemic Survey

 



A majority of employees report that their financial well-being has suffered during the coronavirus pandemic, with 63% of workers saying their financial stress has increased since the pandemic started early in 2020.

Source: PwC, 2021 PwC Employee Financial Wellness Survey




While 87% of companies globally report having implemented a well-being initiative, only 55% of those same organizations say that they have a well-being strategy in place.

Source: Aon, 2021 Global Wellbeing Survey




"Employees are hesitant to let go of autonomy when it comes to their well-being, and rightfully so. Instead of focusing on the logistics of getting people back into the office, I encourage leaders to see this moment as an opportunity to ask employees, ‘What do you want work to look like in the future so that you can do your best work and take care of yourself?’ And then really listen and act accordingly. The outcome would be profound, both for people and for businesses."

— Reetu Sandhu, Ph.D, director, The Limeade Institute

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