Welcome to all CEOs, leaders, managers, and other well-being explorers.

In this first week, I want to discuss my lessons and predictions for the work environment. I like to discuss how the (mental) health of employees is shaping the trajectory of business, in my meetings with (HR) directors, managers, and partner companies. From these conversations, I learned a lot. Today, I will discuss the patterns I noticed that point to a shift in the work environment.

The rise of corporate well-being

Almost everybody I speak to is interested in the well-being of their employees. This is an important and positive evolution, as not even 5 years ago the ‘hustle culture’, a lifestyle with 14-hour workdays, was common and trending. In this working style, your career success was defined and praised by the hours in your work week, and your ability to work past tiredness. It was often accompanied by quotes like ‘rise and grind’ and the unacknowledged physical and psychological symptoms from your never-ending list of high-priority tasks. We are currently noticing the effects of this work ethic through high burnout rates, employee absence, and trends like quiet quitting. These effects instigated a gradual but noticeable shift in the mindset of employees and employers. While the workload might not be different, if not higher, companies are increasingly more supportive of (mental) well-being, resulting in more flexible work arrangements, promoting the use of paid leave hours, and being active in creating work-life balance.

When I speak to leaders of all company sizes, most deeply care about their employees’ well-being, and show a willingness to transition to a way of working that suits a higher quality of life. Companies that fall behind in a willingness to stimulate well-being, often appear to be stuck in an outdated way of managing a business, led by people who do not (yet) believe in the concept of proactively investing in the well-being and happiness of your employees. Luckily, even in these businesses, I see a growing amount of people who are willing to change. It seems to be just a matter of time before this is the new normal. I therefore strongly feel that workplaces will slowly shift towards a proactive well-being culture with healthy boundaries, opportunities for growth, strong leadership, and a supportive environment.

An evolution in leadership

This profound shift in actively supporting well-being as a company is also reshaping corporate priorities. Instead of solemnly seeing market growth and profit margins as head indicators for company success, now including employee well-being, we demand flexibility from our leaders. This new style of leadership requires new capabilities like empathy, agility, and the willingness to change orientation from profit to impact. One CEO told me that working through the pandemic and health crises within his team, he saw his leadership style change: ‘Creating success with a healthy and happy team is an important measurement for the future steps of my company’. This corresponds to studies showing business indicators, such as employee happiness, to positively mediate employee engagement, which in turn can boost the results of a company. (Mediating role of workplace happiness in enhancing work engagement). Consequently, I see an increasing number of business leaders and HR managers interested in solutions for stimulating employee well-being and understanding what your employees really want or even need.

Well-being as a business case

Can you make welfare a business case? During most conversations about Binqy with business owners and HR managers, I often come across the following kinds of questions: "What does Binqy deliver directly and what is the ROI (Return On Investment)?" At first glance, these questions seemed irrelevant to me, because why should the well-being of your employees be linked to a monetary amount? However, as a CEO, I obviously fully understand the need to make deliberate financial choices and watch your spending and then present this to employees, directors, and investors with a concrete goal.

The tricky thing in this market, however, is that investing in prevention and wellness does not immediately leave extra money in your bank account. It is an investment in the future that you are going to see reflected in less absenteeism, less staff turnover, and happier employees, which in turn contributes to free advertising and better results. Now quantify that. Yet the business case around absenteeism is easy to make. According to a large-scale study by the TNO, it appears that 1 in 4 young people (18-34) currently experience burnout and stress symptoms. This combined with the rising mental health absenteeism figures, the costs of absenteeism quickly add up. Since happy, healthy and high-performing employees yield more than they cost, and less absenteeism saves extra money at the end of the year, I definitely see wellbeing as a business case.

The American Journal of Health Promotion supports this with their research on organisations investing in wellbeing programmes, which yields a return on investment (ROI) of $6 on every $1 invested. But beyond the financial benefits, prioritising wellbeing offers even more benefits for your business. It can change your employees' perception of the organisation, boosting loyalty, commitment, and job satisfaction, and creating positive word-of-mouth. Engaged and satisfied employees turn into enthusiastic ambassadors, reinforcing a wellbeing culture and boosting the company's reputation. According to Gallup, engaged and well-supported employees are 17% more productive and have 41% less absenteeism.

Ultimately, the significance of wellbeing goes beyond individual lives. It causes a domino effect that shapes the core culture and prosperity of the organisation. A happy employee not only thrives personally, but also radiates that positivity to others, becoming an unspoken ambassador for your product or service. This is why I know that companies, HR leaders and CEOs are increasingly taking responsibility for the physical and psychological well-being of their employees, and I am proud of that.

Next time

Next time, I will address the topic of the differences between generational needs on the work floor.  I will discuss my learnings of speaking and working with various company leaders and the need for well-being in a work environment across generations.

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