Tag Archive for: employee wellbeing

How Employee Wellness Programming Can Bring Company Anchor Days to Life

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The pandemic has created a major shift in where and how we work. It has also made many people question why they go to work, resulting in the widely-documented phenomena of ‘The Great Resignation’ and ‘quiet quitting’. massive changes in workforce demographics with employees abandoning low-wage jobs, embarking on new career paths, or taking early retirement.

One of the shifts we’ve been particularly attuned to in the hybrid era is the fact that, within many organizations, on-site workdays are now holding the place that company off-sites once did.

Research conducted by Harvard University shows that 1-2 days in the office is the sweet spot for optimal productivity and fulfills employees’ need for interpersonal connection. In fact, many companies now recognize this 1-2 day in-office and 3-4 day work-from-home model to be the most well-organized method for hybrid work.

Companies have embraced the shift and are responding to schedule preferences as a demonstration of their commitment to employee wellbeing. At the same time, another hybrid workplace trend is on the rise. Commonly referred to as “Anchor Days”, “Super Days” or “All-Employee Days”, these terms refer to specific days – perhaps monthly or quarterly– where either all employees or certain teams commit to being in the office.

Since one of the main purposes of these days is to revive office culture, they’re often targeted for all-team meetings, town halls, and or other presentations/events.

Well-executed anchor days can be highly beneficial for everyone from brand new and entry-level employees to upper management. As with any workplace cultural initiative, implementation requires strategic planning, communication, and ongoing assessment to ensure their value proposition is clear. In other words, if employees perceive that anchor days are simply an attempt to mandate their work location without a well-communicated purpose and added incentives, getting full buy-in may prove challenging.

There is of course no manual for how to design the perfect anchor day, and if there were, it would read differently depending on the industry and the company’s cultural values. The pandemic has motivated companies across the globe to uplevel their commitment to employee wellbeing through the implementation of strategic programming designed to support employees’ holistic wellbeing. If this is the case for your company, anchor days present the opportunity to prove its commitment to wellbeing.

A few benefits of anchor days include:

 

Meaningful Face-to-Face Time
Employees can use anchor days to their advantage to establish new connections and nurture existing relationships with their peers. They also get face-to-face time with management that they might not have had when working remotely, which better positions them for promotions. Employees can stop by each other’s desks, ask a quick question, or give updates on a project’s status. WFH employees do not interact with management as much as those working on site, which may put them at a disadvantage in these areas, being out of sight, out of mind.

According to a 2020 study in the UK, WFH workers were less than 50% as likely as on-site workers to receive a promotion. The more out of sight, out of mind an employee is, it increases the likelihood they’ll be passed over, which doesn’t benefit the employee or your company in the end, as it may impact your ability to retain them.

Efficiency in Learning & Development
Research points to the fact that today’s employees are hungry for professional learning and growth opportunities. At the height of the pandemic, companies had no choice but to deliver new employee training virtually. There is nothing like face-to-face time with seasoned professionals to help kickstart their journey with your company. Professional development opportunities for seasoned workers may also be more effective for both instructors and employees when delivered in person. Build training sessions into anchor days to champion growth & learning within the culture.

An Opportunity to Showcase Commitment to Workplace Wellness
Anchor days present the perfect opportunity to for companies to prove their commitment to employee wellness – to walk their talk, so to speak. Companies should look to wellness-oriented team-building activities and programming to add value. Be sure to consider how these activities can fit into the agenda without creating stress by packing the days too full, which can counteract the benefits

Bring anchor days to life by infusing them with holistic wellness experiences that promote self-care, foster community, and boost morale.

 

Here are a few anchor day wellness programming ideas to get you started:

 

  • Offer chair massage – while chair massage is always a hit with employees, offering convenient, 10-minute time blocks works especially well in fast-paced, high-stress workplaces where employees are on the go.
  • Schedule an On-site Cooking Demo – great for nutrition-conscious team members and those who love to cook. Choose from one of our most popular topics, or we can customize!
  • Factor in Financial Wellness – if your company is looking to enhance its financial wellness support system for employees, help remove the stigma of talking about money. Invite an expert to give a financial wellness talk and facilitate a fun, thought-provoking financial wellness game or activity that invites employees into a healthy relationship with their finances.
  • Sponsor Lunch & Learn Sessions – provide lunch break learning opportunities to support employees with things like self-care, stress reduction, mindfulness, work-life balance, and goal-setting.
  • Sprinkle in Movement Experiences – from creative movement to fitness challenges to on-site yoga classes, adding movement is a great way to diffuse stress and get employees together for a shared experience that’s fun and relaxing.
  • Host an employee health fair – these are a great opportunity for employees to learn about the benefits available to them and create a nice engagement opportunity while everyone is on-site.

Ready to plan some creative, new team-building activities for your company’s on-site anchor days? Contact the hybrid workplace wellness specialists at Urban Balance to explore the possibilities and book your experience!

*Urban Balance’s on-site services are available in the Portland Metro area only. Virtual events are available worldwide.

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Urban Balance is the premier provider of comprehensive on-site corporate wellness services including massage in the Portland, Oregon metro area and offers virtual workplace wellness programming worldwide. We deliver livestream and on-demand classes, webinars, and special events to the workplace environment for happier employees and a healthier bottom line.

Browse our virtual wellness services catalog with offerings including yoga, Pilates, Tai Chi, Zumba, HIIT, Barre Sculpt, meditation, nutrition, learning opportunities, and more.

Discover the benefits of the Urban Balance on-demand video library, a workplace wellbeing solution with 350+ holistic wellness classes. Includes membership options for companies and individuals.

employee-wellness-webinar

5 Reasons to Include Employee Wellness Webinars in your Workplace Wellness Strategy

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The ongoing strain on employees’ mental health and sense of psychological safety at work is taking an enormous toll on today’s workforce. According to Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace 2022 Report, based on surveys which were conducted in 2021 and released in June of this year, employee stress and detachment at work remain at an all-time high, second only to the results of the same Gallup surveys done in 2020.

Among the shifts needed to improve these circumstances, employees need to know their employer is well-attuned to their individual needs and is dependable in supporting them. This support is essential because while many employees know they would be well-served to engage in activities that support their overall wellbeing such as movement and exercise, making nourishing food choices, and getting quality sleep, the demands of work ultimately pull them away from their goals.

Some employees can become addicted to busyness, stress, achievement, and people-pleasing without recognizing it. The urge to stay busy at the expense of wellbeing can even be a trauma response in some individuals. The pull toward stress and overwork becomes even harder to break away from in workplaces where external validation for these tendencies is everywhere.

With all of this being the case, there is a need for employee benefits teams to skillfully curate programming that is creative, varied, offered consistently, and is relevant to employees’ current needs. One approach HR managers, wellness coordinators, and employee benefits professionals can take is to offer regular employee wellness webinars, which introduce important topics related to holistic wellbeing and can help bridge the gap between where employees are across the dimensions of wellbeing, and where they want to be.

Here are 5 top benefits of offering employee wellness webinars:


They are a convenient type of programming for today’s hybrid workers.

In hybrid workplaces, employee wellness webinars hold a similar space to lunch & learn sessions, only they are delivered virtually and thus, can be accessed no matter where your team is working.

They help integrate health and wellness habits into the company culture.

Consistently offering webinars inspires the adoption of healthy habits and curiosity about new avenues for growth. Both employees and management might consider ways to integrate the information, not only personally, but companywide.

They promote mental health and wellbeing in the workplace through engagement around holistic topics.

Uniting employees around the common goal of improved wellbeing empowers everyone involved and can help to jump-start conversations around supporting mental wellbeing on both a personal and organizational level. With so much uncertainty, change and trauma in the world, which is not separate from our workplaces, ongoing support for mental wellbeing will remain essential.

They encourage employees to build self-awareness and accountability.

Whether live and interactive or on-demand, wellness webinars give employees space to reflect on how the topic relates to their current life and start asking questions. What might they add to or let go of in their life? What shifts in thinking are necessary? What support might they ask for from their boss or their peers? Holistic employee wellness webinars can create an opening for this type of inquiry.

They include practical takeaways employees can implement in their everyday lives.

By engaging with webinar topics in the group format, employees will pick up new tools and ideas they can integrate into their regular routine. They will also gain insight into challenges their co-workers might be facing, which can lead to increased empathy.

In summary:

Incorporating employee wellness webinars into your corporate wellness plan can help your company create a culture shift that puts employees first and gives rise to a new standard of employee wellbeing.

 

Employee Wellness Webinars with Urban Balance

Guided by wellness professionals who are skilled at holding space and normalizing the many different employee experiences related to the topic at hand, our presenters encourage participation while inspiring comfort in their audiences.

When you work with us as a wellness webinar provider, you can schedule a single webinar, or a bundle of 3 or 6 for added impact. View all of our bundle and program options here.

These may be offered via livestream presentation, with or without a recording. Both are great options for those looking for an interactive group activity. Webinars are also available via on-demand video giving employees the convenience of being able to view at any time.

Want an expanded, yet flexible learning experience?

Consider an on-demand wellness webinar series. We’ll work with you to curate an impactful array of webinars that meet employees where they are to inspire learning and growth.

Browse a wide array of topics related to general holistic wellbeing, financial wellbeing, and environmental wellbeing, then contact us to get started!

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Urban Balance is the premier provider of comprehensive on-site corporate wellness services including massage in the Portland, Oregon metro area and offers virtual workplace wellness programming worldwide. We deliver livestream and on-demand classes, webinars, and special events to the workplace environment for happier employees and a healthier bottom line.

Browse our virtual wellness services catalog with offerings including yoga, Pilates, Tai Chi, Zumba, HIIT, Barre Sculpt, meditation, nutrition, learning opportunities, and more.

Discover the benefits of the Urban Balance on-demand video library, a workplace wellbeing solution with 350+ holistic wellness classes. Includes membership options for companies and individuals.

The Role of Chair Massage in the Workplace

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Chair massage was easily one of the most popular corporate wellness offerings prior to the pandemic. With the return to the office underway at many companies and levels of uncertainty, stress, and anxiety still running high, this employee favorite is making a well-deserved comeback.

Why do so many employees jump at the opportunity for a chair massage? One reason is that touch is powerful – we all need it to some degree. The lack of touch, or touch deprivation, is actually connected with negative health outcomes, including anxiety, depression, and immune system dysfunction.

During the crisis phase of the pandemic which had us isolating ourselves and social distancing like never before, collectively we learned just how much we need touch. Corporate HR, benefits, and wellness managers should be aware that it is something many of their employees have missed these past few years.

Benefits of Chair Massage at Work

Chair massage is known to reduce stress, decrease anxiety and depression, relieve muscle tension & headaches, increase focus and energy, improve sleep, lower blood pressure, increase immune function and improve range of motion.

Typically offered in 5-to-15-minute micro sessions, chair massage is a portable form of massage in which the therapist has access to the upper body including the head, neck, shoulders, back, arms, and hands. Massaging these areas reduces muscle tension, revives connective tissue, and energizes the individual.

Chair massage is a wonderful corporate wellness service for employers to provide employees who are experiencing chronic stress at work. For years now, scientifically supported studies (here and here, among the many) have shown that massage benefits employees in a multitude of ways, primarily through helping to mitigate the corrosive effects of work stress.

Lastly, though corporate chair massage can be offered as a one-off service, it will always be most beneficial when offered regularly and/or bundled with other holistic wellness services like yoga & movement classes, meditation & breathwork, nutrition talks & cooking demos, and employee wellness webinars.

When and Where to Offer Workplace Chair Massage

The best part of corporate chair massage service for employers is that, with a licensed massage therapist (LMT) coming right to your office, you’re bringing workplace wellbeing to your employees right where they are.

While chair massage can be offered anytime for any reason (trust us, you don’t need a special occasion to offer chair massage at your office – employees love it no matter the circumstances!) this service makes a great add-on to on-site health fairs, back-to-the-office parties, and other employee gatherings. It is a terrific way to say “thank you” to new and veteran employees alike after the many challenges of the past few years.

Scheduling regular, convenient chair massages at work is a wonderful way to eliminate employees’ excuses for self-care and in these present times can help decrease the stress of heading back to the office.

Chair Massage with Urban Balance

We partner with some of the most skilled and experienced professional massage therapists in the Portland metro area. Our LMTs are fully vaccinated and take all the appropriate COVID safety precautions, including wearing masks and sanitizing surfaces between clients.

Contact us today to set up a free consultation or schedule corporate chair massage services for your Portland, Oregon employees!

 

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Urban Balance is the premier provider of comprehensive on-site corporate wellness services including massage in the Portland, Oregon metro area and offers virtual workplace wellness programming worldwide. We deliver livestream and on-demand classes, webinars, and special events to the workplace environment for happier employees and a healthier bottom line.

Browse our virtual wellness services catalog with offerings including yoga, Pilates, Tai Chi, Zumba, HIIT, Barre Sculpt, meditation, nutrition, learning opportunities, and more.

Discover the benefits of the Urban Balance on-demand video library, a workplace wellbeing solution with over 350+ holistic wellness classes. Includes membership options for companies and individuals.

7 Wellness Services to Integrate into Corporate Meetings and Events

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Does your organization have a conference, training, or all-company meeting coming up? Promote workplace wellbeing by adding holistic corporate wellness services to the agenda.

Including wellness services in these types of events provides attendees with opportunities to rest, digest, and re-energize, striking a balance between work and self-care within an otherwise busy event schedule. Services like yoga & movement, meditation & breathwork, and massage can help attendees move through the day feeling more focused, centered, and engaged. This helps to ensure they get the most out of the experience and increases the likelihood your company can call the event a success.

There are many ways to incorporate holistic wellness services into events, but the best strategy is to make sure the offerings are relevant to what employees or attendees really need. Important topics in corporate wellness right now include employee mental health, the role of exercise in mental wellbeing, creating a culture of belonging and care at work, and recovering from and preventing burnout.

The following holistic corporate wellness services make a powerful addition to both virtual and in-person events:

  • Keynote Speakers
    Conferences and meetings revolve around business needs, but they are also about human connection. Create a culture of wellbeing within your event by inviting speakers who motivate and inspire on topics related to employee wellbeing.
  • Chair Yoga
    Chair yoga pairs well with many different corporate events, especially those where attendees are sitting in an event room for extended periods of time without much space to move around, or they are attending virtually and are glued to their screens for hours on end. No special props or clothing are required for chair yoga. Attendees may practice just as they are.
  • Breathwork & Meditation
    Even a minute or two of conscious breathing has been shown to create a measurable increase in focus, concentration, and an overall sense of wellbeing. Bring in a meditation teacher to guide attendees through a simple, yet profound experience of noticing their breath and feeling into the present moment.
  • Mindfulness Talks & Guided Meditation
    Mindfulness talks and meditation sessions make a nice addition to the start or end of a meeting or even a midday break. These offerings help attendees move into a more relaxed, cooperative headspace and feel more connected with the present moment so they can engage meaningfully throughout the day.
  • Wellness Webinars
    Hosting a virtual event? Wellness webinars make a terrific addition to the day. No matter where employees are attending from, they can tune in and explore wellness topics designed to enhance their life, from living more simply and creating healthy habits to recovering from burnout.
  • Nutrition Talks
    Help attendees make sound nutritional choices both during the event and in their daily lives with nutrition talks. Led by certified nutritionists, these webinar-style presentations are packed with nutrition facts, insights, and tips to educate employees while empowering them to make skillful dietary choices.
  • Chair Massage
    Bring in massage therapists to offer chair massage to attendees in short intervals. A long-time staple in the landscape of corporate wellness offerings, chair massage is known to benefit busy professionals in a variety of ways. It can reduce stress, enhance circulation, boost the immune system, relieve pain, and even act as a mood-booster.

Work with True Wellness Professionals

When choosing workplace wellness vendors for your event, be sure you are collaborating with credentialed professionals who are able to adapt their classes or services to meet the needs of different groups and individuals. The Urban Balance team of wellness providers understands how to adjust their presentation style to match a company’s culture and ensure their classes flow efficiently and effectively.

Interested in planning a virtual wellness retreat, wellness week, or employee health fair? Visit our website to discover our full range of event options.

 

*When working with Urban Balance, on-site services are available in the Portland Metro area only. Virtual events are available worldwide.

 

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Urban Balance is the premier provider of comprehensive on-site corporate wellness services including massage in the Portland, Oregon metro area, and offers virtual workplace wellness programming worldwide. We deliver livestream and on-demand classes, webinars, and special events to the workplace environment for happier employees and a healthier bottom line.

Browse our virtual wellness services catalog with offerings including yoga, Pilates, Tai Chi, Zumba, HIIT, Barre Sculpt, meditation, nutrition, learning opportunities, and more.

Discover the benefits of the Urban Balance on-demand video library, a workplace wellbeing solution with over 350+ holistic wellness classes. Includes membership options for companies and individuals.

5 Workplace Wellness Trends to Act on in 2022

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The workplace wellness trends emerging so far in 2022 send a clear message about what employees are expecting from their employers. Staying abreast of the most current workplace wellness trends can prove impactful for organizations seeking to retain current employees, boost employee engagement and retention, and attract new talent. Here are a few we believe deserve extra attention right now:

 

Support for Mental Health & Wellbeing

This first trend has received a lot of buzz to date. In a 2021 American Psychological Association (APA) study, 79% of employees said they had experienced some degree of work-related stress in the last month, with roughly 6 in 10 saying they experienced negative impacts from that stress.

While supports like employee assistance plans and telehealth therapy are integral parts to a well-rounded benefits package and should be prioritized, companies should look to other stress-reduction methods to supplement, such as livestream yoga or t’ai chi classes, or on-demand mindfulness meditation practices. In our experience working on-site and virtually with employees over the past decade, these supplemental yet impactful practices help employees to feel more resilient in the face of stress and give them something to look forward to each week.

Another possible avenue for mental health support is through wellness webinars. A great strategy is to offer a bundle of monthly or quarterly webinars on topics related to self-care and stress management.

Diversity in Well-Being Offerings

When it comes to workplace wellbeing offerings, one of the common challenges is that employees all need a little something different – because some of the variables of being human include gender, race, sexual orientation, family structure, religious background and lifestyle, to name just a few – we are all different. It is important for leaders to recognize this and offer a diverse array of wellness offerings to connect with as many employees as possible. Doing so can help them to feel seen and heard, which can boost feelings of psychological safety at work.

We expect this trend will take the corporate wellness landscape further into a focus on holistic programming, which recognizes and prioritizes the whole person and all dimensions of wellbeing.

Employee Benefits will Become a Key Employee Retention Tool

In 2021, “The Great Resignation” took center stage, as many employees vacated their positions in search of greener pastures. This has prompted a wake-up call for employers and led to a re-imagining of the workplace. Employees want to be heard by their employers. Employers can encourage healthy feedback loops by survey employees and taking action on the data they receive.

Community Connection & Engagement

Employee engagement continues to be a challenge in our hybrid world. How can you bring employees together? One option we advocate for is offering livestream workplace wellness classes, which give employees the opportunity to come together for something other than a meeting – in a space for self-care and connection.  Try scheduling classes in for your employees as meetings to increase the likelihood that they’ll attend. Make it fun and don’t hesitate to incentivize them!

Increased Interest in Financial Wellness Offerings

Financial stress impacts employees’ emotional wellbeing. According to a 2019 report by Metlife, 1 in 3 employees admits their financial stress makes them less productive at work. Some of today’s top stressors include lack of emergency savings, keeping up with monthly expenses and being laid off. For companies, this can mean lost revenue, absenteeism, and high turnover.

Research shows that providing financial wellness support can increase employee engagement and even loyalty to their company. Per this PWC study and analysis, more than 80% of employers report having a financial wellness program in place, however many of these are traditional programs focused on retirement education and other planning programs that aren’t addressing the current, real causes of employees’ financial stress.

 

 

How to Deliver Workplace Wellness Programs that Work

The first step to delivering impactful employee wellness programming is to start by gathering data. Survey employees to find out what they need and deliver based on those responses. Remove as many barriers to participation as possible. Make wellness offerings creative, interesting, and easily accessible no matter where employees are working from. Finally, be sure to measure the impact the offerings had, through participation tracking and surveys.

 

In Conclusion

To position your company for success in the face of a competitive job market, hybrid work environment and ongoing global uncertainty, improving employee wellbeing must be top-of-mind. Employee wellbeing is the key to a profitable, sustainable business. Corporate HR and employee benefits teams should find ways to meet the needs expressed by these trends and most importantly, deliver in a way that is authentic and in alignment with the overall culture your unique company is looking to promote.

 

Find out how Urban Balance’s Workplace Wellness services can enhance your employee benefits program when you contact us for a complimentary consultation.

 

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Urban Balance is the premier provider of comprehensive on-site corporate wellness services including massage in the Portland, Oregon metro area and offers virtual workplace wellness programming worldwide. We deliver livestream and on-demand classes, webinars, and special events to the workplace environment for happier employees and a healthier bottom line.

Browse our catalog of virtual wellness services with offerings including yoga, Pilates, Tai Chi, Zumba, HIIT, Barre Sculpt, meditation, nutrition, learning opportunities, and more.