In many ways, Amazon is a retail legend.
e-Commerce businesses in several fields look to emulate Amazon in several ways.
But there’s one big area Amazon can improve, employee wellbeing.
This past May, the retail giants added interactive booths where employees could go for “mindfulness practices.” The problem is that employees have longed complain about the lack of basic working conditions.
The absence of bathrooms, and too low wages have been longstanding complaints from employees.
So yea, a “zen booth” sounds nice but it doesn’t help when employees aren’t getting the conditions they need.
In this case, Amazon has shown exactly how NOT to support employee mental and emotional wellbeing.
Here are some other strategies that don’t support emotional wellbeing and what you can do instead.
An Employee of the Month
Here at Content Cucumber, our employee of the month is one of our adorable pets. While recognition is important, deeming an “employee of the month” is not a solution for wellbeing. Celebrating achievements and efforts doesn’t need to be restricted by a monthly tradition.
Instead, make recognition part of your culture. Focus on making sure employees feel emotionally connected. Create a positive work environment. Be specific with praise as well, especially when employees are dealing with a tough situation or unique challenge.
Fitness Challenges
Holistic health is crucial for employee wellbeing. Fitness challenges are known to promote friendly competition and jumpstart wellness. So why are they a bad idea?
Well, they aren’t always a bad idea. But if your employees are overworked and working in less than optimal conditions, a fitness challenge can be just another strain on them.
Mandatory “Team Bonding”
It’s great to build relationships with your team, and occasional outings are great for building camaraderie. But mandatory team outings won’t fix a lack of communication. If team members do not feel heard, valued, or empowered no pizza party or team outing will help.
Rather than forcing team bonding events, facilitate communication. Check-in with your team about how they are doing and if they have the resources they need. Make sure everyone feels like they have a voice.
Weekend Events
There may be times when a weekend event is unavoidable, but in general, they aren’t good for employee wellbeing. Evenings and weekends may seem like good times for events, meetings, etc, but they will likely harm employee wellness.
Employees desire flexible work arrangements. When possible, give employees flexibility. Ensure work-life balance by giving employees ample time to enjoy family life. Having enough time to spend with family, friends, and hobbies is crucial for employee happiness and wellbeing.
Bonuses
Hold on, who doesn’t like bonuses?! Yes, most employees will like a bonus. The problem is that bonuses do not make up for low salaries. There is a way to implement bonuses that are helpful, but first, make sure employees are getting the salaries they deserve. Another aspect of pay to consider is benefits. Again, before throwing bonuses at the problem take a realistic look at the benefits package employees receive and see if a lack of benefits could detract from employee wellness.
Employee Wellness Programs
Again, the concept of a wellness program isn’t terrible. Most often, it’s the execution. Requiring employees to get steps each day or track their fruits and vegetables isn’t usually a great move. Offering resources to facilitate wellness can be helpful, but it’s not a band-aid solution.
Before considering any wellness program, you have to address your employees’ basic work needs. Evaluate the current working conditions. Do your employees:
- Have the resources they need to complete their jobs well
- Have a safe working environment
- Have an enjoyable working environment
- Receive reasonable job demands that are not excessively stressful
- Have work-life balance
Reward Overworking
It’s great to recognize employees for their hard work and accomplishments, but far too often overworking is what’s praised. Do not set a standard for excessive working. Rewarding overworking tells employees that’s what you value. People will begin to think that what they need to do to succeed is to push themselves to the absolute limit.
While it’s great to reward extra efforts or recognize an employee for battling through a stressful job, don’t make overworking your culture. Instead, encourage employees to take breaks. Make breaks accessible and enjoyable for employees. Give them the benefit of the doubt and do not impose strict break limits. Breaks ARE a part of productivity and they are essential for employee wellbeing.
Make Employee Wellness a Priority
The bottom line is that employee mental health and wellbeing are crucial. It’s important for employees, leaders, and your business as a whole. It must be a priority for every organization.
Take a lesson from Amazon and many others. Rather than focus on the feel-good activities and offerings, take a good hard look at your work environment. Evaluate the ways you can ensure a safe, enjoyable work environment and facilitate employee wellness for the long term.