The Way to go for a Working Employee Wellness Programme

Thank you, COVID-19.

You may wonder why I say that, as someone who has been hands on in the Employee Wellbeing field/battleground for the past 30 years, I know the raw, jagged, core details of a well-intended; and well implemented EWP, or EAP that works well, and one that is used for a false pretense. One of “see, we do care” as a diversion, and sleight of hand, to cover for all the other actions that prove they don’t…and a game of control, and manipulation. This, by the way was a quote from a Training manager I worked with in 2015, sadly!

The time and space we are in now, simply demands being real. I don’t care if you are in a COO, CFO, HR, Human Capital, Financial or Administration role….Congratulations, employee Wellbeing is now part of your KPA. In fact, your ROLE or job description has nothing to do with it at all, by virtue of the fact that you are an employee, you are an employee wellness ambassador for the workers, and the well-being of the organization. Much like the moral task of each employee is to report on crime and corruption, so we have the distinct role of care, concern and support to your fellow colleagues, as they do to you.

Simply because it was an impossible task before Covid, (with all the employees in mostly one space), to manage an effective and true Wellness Programme, and now with remote work, it is 100% impossible to do or to manage and implement alone or make it the task of one department.

So how are we going to ensure effective and healthy employees in, and post pandemic?

So, I asked a few prominent people for their wisdom, and this is what they typically said:

Measuring and quantifying the impact of work environment on mental health of employees

Equipping managers/supervisors to recognise and deal with mental health issues

• Evaluating ROI by linking initiatives around health and wellbeing to the overall safety Programme

• On the whole, there is nothing wrong with this, however that is simply not enough, and not accurate or clear, actionable to the benefit of the employee or the organization, or even looking at the employee at all….which is where the real Problem resides.

• For once we need to go back to human-ness, to connected-ness, to caring-ness, without that no EAP/EWP will ever be effective.

The level of disconnection, hierarchy and superiority, or “them and us mentality” between leaders and employees must fall, with immediate effect.

It’s time for people to be seen as humans; not roles and responsibilities, KPA’s and tasks, who are you…when you are on the job, the answer is simply: human…you are one package your work and homelife comes with you…to work, and home to work…we are not AI and can therefore not slice off a piece of functioning, the whole being is in both spaces…therefore employee wellness needs to encompass that, as a whole.

The mind shift is actually not too difficult, with a couple of regular repetitions one can develop the habit of remembering we are humans dealing with humans.

Basic simple honesty and real care and check ins on the ~Person~ can add hugely to the employee feeling heard seen and valued…is that too much to ask? The ROI is enormous…and in essence the cheapest tool you can find: One human really “seeing” another human…

Frida Willis is a Licensed Psychotherapist and Registered Life Coach in Pretoria, Gauteng.

Her practice is often on site at corporates, but she also works from her home, a visual haven for mind, body and soul, called Bharosa, situated in Leeuwfontein.

An avid pet lover, mom to two Italian Greyhounds, a Whippet and a family of cats.

She is known for her logical, fun, and creative approach in her Coaching, Counselling/Psychotherapy and Training workshops. She believes in a tailored approach. Everyone has a unique experience with unique needs, so for an exclusive approach and innovative solutions to life’s issues and ills…a chat with her may do

You the world of good.

Expect a creative approach, solid logic, and sound wisdom from Frida, often referred to as “The Happy Lady”!