Working from home during the pandemic has led to a dramatically increased need for mental health services that corporate wellness companies provide. An end-of-year global report highlighted that remote work has led to a high-stress environment for employees due to lack of work/life balance, skills, and the resources workers need to complete tasks as members of remote teams.

Employer Assistance Programs have seen a dramatic increase in utilization as stress takes its toll on the global workforce, and not only among those whose offices have gone virtual. Those who care for the elderly, young children, and special needs family members have found themselves without support due to COVID restrictions. Caregivers who must report in person for work have reported increasing challenges meeting the responsibilities of home life and work expectations.

Companies are responding to the new stress pandemic

Employer wellness programs shifted gears significantly in 2020. Delivery of virtual fitness, meditation, and even counseling options have become top priorities for the corporate wellness industry. With more than half of the global workforce expected to continue working from home or adopting a hybrid model after pandemic restrictions are lifted, wellness programming continues to respond by providing long-term health and wellness solutions to blended workforce populations.

How can employer wellness programs adapt quickly?

The primary charge for most corporate wellness programs is reducing absenteeism, which can negatively impact individual and organizational performance and productivity. Supporting both the mental and physical wellbeing of employees is essential to reducing absences, and all programming must be accessible to both on-site and work-from-home employees and eligible dependents.

In this blog post, Aquila recently outlined three ways corporate wellness programs can quickly respond to the new blended workplace model:

• Adopting resiliency-building tools such as the WELCOA COVID-19 Worksite Wellness Toolkit
• Offering financial wellbeing and counseling benefits appropriate for population needs
• Integrating artificial intelligence to guide workers through open enrollment benefits selection

In addition, employers understand the benefits of physical activity on mental and overall health. To keep employees active, we expect to see these changes to corporate fitness programs in 2021 and beyond:

• A shift to whole-person fitness programming, emphasizing mind-body movement and meditation
• Virtual delivery of fitness programming, through both owned and secondary subscription channels
• Wellness coaching as an integral part of every employer’s virtual EAP offering

Augment existing benefits with programs that work

It can be tempting for benefits specialists to read the latest headline and jump at the opportunity to expand benefits packages to meet population needs, but a word of caution: first, ask employees for input. An employee needs assessment is essential in building a wellness program that offers real value now, and for the long term. Second, it’s important to go with a provider who can offer a proven track record that speaks to their programming engagement, effectiveness, and longevity.

Aquila experts understand how to assess and reconfigure wellness programs to best serve employer populations. Aquila corporate wellness programming consultants stay abreast of workforce trends and have built and managed customized, sustainable solutions for public and private organizations for the last 25 years. Learn more about what Aquila can do for your corporate wellness program by contacting us at info@aquilaltd.com.