A company’s wellness policies are key talking points for recruiting and retention for many businesses, as employees place an increasingly high value on them. I’m using the term “wellness policies” to cover any policy that supports an employee’s well-being, such as unlimited PTO, remote work, flexible work arrangements, extended maternity leave, paternity leave, half-day Fridays, summer hours, assigned mentors, external coaches, open-door policies, firm holiday shutdowns, and many more. Policies that have become increasingly popular over the past decade, especially since the pandemic. But, are these policies “hollow,” and simply “checking the box” for the company to not fall behind their competitors, without truly valuing them? How authentic to the company’s culture are they?
A simple question will give you enough information to make this determination. Ask the leaders of the company if they believe their wellness policies lead to greater profitability.
If their answer is “yes,” there’s a high likelihood that those policies are a real part of its culture, and are adequately supported and encouraged. If their answer is “no,” who knows, but generally, I wouldn’t put much faith in those policies.
Why is that?
If an employer believes its wellness policies lead to greater profitability, the company is incentivized to encourage and ensure its use. The fundamental purpose of a for-profit business is to make a profit. When push comes to shove, profitability will always take priority, and everything else will fall to the wayside. So, if the company believes that the use of its wellness policies benefits its profitability, they will be made a priority. To get the greatest buy-in from leadership, this has to be the approach. Otherwise, during times that are anything less than ideal for the business, the value placed on these policies will decline, and likely very significantly, resulting in policies that are not supported or used.
Let’s look at some examples:
· Half-Day Fridays - You’ve probably worked somewhere where a wellness policy like half-day Fridays (only required to work four hours) was instituted during a time when work was slower, and at first, people were excited and taking advantage of it. But as time went on and things got busier at work, it all but fell off completely. However, the employer continues to advertise the policy to potential hires as a real part of its culture, but the current employees know that’s not the case.
· Unlimited PTO - If your employer doesn’t respect your time off and being on “vacation,” doesn’t mean anything to them, you might be required to work even when using PTO. Of course, there are always exceptions to this, but generally speaking, if that’s the case it makes the unlimited PTO policy moot. What’s the point of unlimited PTO if it’s not actually time off? In that case, wouldn’t it be better to have PTO limits, but respect PTO as actual time off where you aren’t expected to work?
· Remote Work - If an employer has a policy that allows employees to work remotely at their discretion, but holds it against them when they do because the employer ultimately prefers they work from the office, then there’s a disconnect between the policy on paper and in practice.
However, if the leaders believe the policy benefits profitability, whether directly or indirectly, they will make it a point to ensure it’s being taken advantage of, even when it’s inconvenient or busy because they recognize its importance--that it’s in the best interest of the company to do so.
A win-win situation
If we assume wellness policies help to make a happier, healthier, more effective employee, at least to some degree, wellness policies that are part of the company’s culture mean that they truly care about you, even if it’s only because it’s in the best interest of the company. It’s a win-win situation; the employee feels they are valued, as an employee and person, and reaps the benefit of the policy, and the company is doing what’s best for its profitability.
Is it true that effective wellness policies lead to greater profitability? From an employee’s perspective, it doesn’t matter. All that matters is that the company believes it’s true. If the belief is there, the incentive and business purpose are there, and thus, the wellness policies will be an authentic part of its culture.
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