The Great Resignation: There Isn’t a Labor Shortage, There’s a Wellbeing Shortage

In today’s hyper-competitive job market, employers are doing just about everything they can to attract and retain employees. This includes offering better wages, more flexible schedules and better benefits. Despite these perks, employers are still struggling to fill positions. One of the biggest reasons is lack of employee wellbeing. It has become clear that the measures we had to take to navigate the pandemic — social distancing, masking up, working from home and taking on additional caretaking roles — took a huge toll on our overall health, especially on our mental health.
 
A recent study in The Journal of the American Medical Association found rates of depression for adults have tripled since before the pandemic. Another study by The Journal of Psychoactive Drugs found that rates of drug and alcohol use, depression, anxiety and loneliness have skyrocketed, especially among young people. If that’s not enough, the rates of burnout are through the roof, with 89 percent of employees now reporting that their work life has gotten worse, according to an article published by the Harvard Business Review.
 
Given these alarming statistics, it’s not surprising that employees are quitting their jobs in droves. So what can employers do to actually make a difference in the wellbeing of their people, and at the same time help to retain their workforce? The answer lies in supporting employee wellbeing.

Tune Into What Actually Matters 

In the time of the Great Resignation, the locus of power has shifted. Employees are in the driver’s seat. They’re calling the shots, and employers need to take note. Now more than ever, employees want their work to be meaningful. They are looking for more flexibility in their schedule and they are seeking a workplace that is more inclusive. They want to feel cared for and they want to matter. This means that in today’s world, employers need to safeguard the wellbeing of every employee — as the employees define it.  

Look at Company Culture

The pandemic sparked a surge in requests I’ve received to provide stress-management tips. While well-intended, these self-care prescriptions may in fact make the issues worse as they ignore the deeper root causes. Employee stress and burnout, studies show, are less about an individual’s capacity to manage their stress and more about the workplace itself. For example, one of the biggest drivers of stress is a lack of autonomy, which is clearly more of a structural and management issue than it is an individual one.

A better way is for organizational leaders to begin by taking an honest look at their company culture. Does it support wellbeing, or is it undermining it? What I see over and over again is a mismatch between the messaging of company wellness programs — "Prioritize your health. Step away from your desk! Take a yoga class!" — and the larger company culture that often dictates exactly the opposite. Therefore, rather than just doling out superficial fixes, organizational leaders would be wise to go deeper.

Assess Wellness Privilege

As part of this culture deep dive, business leaders need to recognize the intersection between wellbeing and diversity, equity and inclusion. This means acknowledging the role of Wellness Privilege. Simply defined, Wellness Privilege is an unearned benefit or advantage enjoyed by some — and not by others — that makes the pursuit of wellbeing easier.
 
Here are just a few questions to consider: Does your workplace support taking time off to rest and recover, such as paid sick days? Does your boss control how you manage your time at work? Can you observe your religious holidays and traditions without having to use vacation time? Are you asked to do menial tasks that colleagues of another gender or race aren’t asked to do? Do you have opportunities to grow in your career? Do you get equal airtime in conversations and meetings?  

Incorporate Wellness Into Everyday Tasks 

What Wellness Privilege audits can highlight is just how much the pursuit of wellness needs to be a collective one, as opposed to just an individual one. Therefore, rather than continuing to parrot the overused "take personal responsibility for your health and wellbeing" mantra, organizational leaders need to pursue a more outside-in approach. They need to seek ways to optimize the environment and the culture to infuse wellbeing and vitality into the organizational fabric. Offering healthy snacks at meetings or establishing a safe walking path around the office can make it easier for employees to adopt healthier habits. Starting meetings with wellbeing enhancers such as expressing gratitude can normalize mental health in the workplace.

Activate Managers 

Employers need to better prioritize wellbeing at work — not just as a one-off, but as a way of life. This is where managers come into the conversation. Managers are perhaps every organization’s greatest asset in integrating wellness into the fabric of business as usual. The manager alone likely accounts for up to 70 percent of their team members’ engagement with both their work and their wellbeing, according to Gallup and ADP Research Institute. A manager-driven movement can make a huge difference for the wellbeing of the workforce, especially during this time of uncertainty.

The time is now for business and HR leaders to step up to meet the moment. The good news is that in following these five steps, employers can indeed make a difference. Employees are voting with their feet. They’re making it loud and clear that their wellbeing actually matters. Now it’s up to employers to decide whether or not they’ll listen.

Laura Putnam is the CEO and founder of Motion Infusion, a leading wellbeing provider, and author of the award-winning book "Workplace Wellness That Works."