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10/3/2017 |
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The Role Managers Play In Shaping Employee Well-Being |
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The Role Managers Play In Shaping Employee Well-Being by Alan Kohll Management support is crucial to the success of any workplace wellness program. As leaders, managers have the opportunity to build supportive work environments that promote employee health and well-being. Employee wellness is a smart investment for today’s managers. Research has shown the link connecting employee health behaviors with healthcare costs and the bottom line. Numerous companies are looking to reduce healthcare costs while also fostering happy, productive employees. As of 2015, more than two-thirds of U.S. employers currently offer wellness programs to help facilitate healthy workplace behaviors. While this is a great start, it’s important to realize that simply putting a wellness program into place isn’t enough. Employees need a manager’s support to create a thriving culture of wellness and sustainable behavior change. In many cases, HR professionals spend a lot of effort convincing senior management to support wellness. In reality, it’s actually the middle managers that hold the key to changing workplace culture. Employees want their managers to give them permission and say that it’s okay to walk at lunch or attend a company yoga class. Why Managers? Managers have the power to create a healthier workplace. This is because they have the opportunity to lead their employees by example. Employees are much more likely to get involved in wellness activities if they see that their manager is doing so. In fact, the central part of a manager’s role is to stimulate constructive change and maintain a supportive environment. According to the Wellness Culture Coaching Toolkit by HealthyCulture.com, managers are viewed as leaders in environmental change because: • Managers are the instigators and organizers of change. They are responsible for follow through and quality control. • Managers are gatekeepers. They allocate resources such as time, space and money. • As leaders, managers work to create conditions that are conducive to success. They are accountable for the failure of the group or organization. Read full article on Forbes.
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