GrokTalk Blog

Even though June is Pride Month, it’s important to carry on the values of Pride through the rest of the year. Although Pride is a great way to celebrate the impact and history of the LGBTQ+ community, it’s important to remember that, as a society, there is still a lot of work to do in order to reach a more equitable and inclusive culture, especially in the workplace. 

The ideas surrounding mental health in corporate America too often prove self-defeating and counterproductive. Scientific American published a research-based analysis that indicates upwards of 55 percent of employees fear retribution for taking a mental health day off. Compounding that problem, studies point to 83 percent of Americans suffering work-related stress, with 29 percent saying the levels were high to extreme.

Technology has brought us to the age of information, the age of digitization, the age of AI, smartphones, and, yes, the age of convenience. From the advent of food and grocery delivery services to live TV and movie streaming networks, people have become accustomed to personalizing and digitizing their various needs and entertainment experiences.

Employee retention is one of the most important metrics for companies. High retention rates will save you time, money, and resources. When companies have high churn rates, they need to invest in the recruitment process and take a chance on an employee that might not fit with their unique culture and structure.

The advent and popularity of unlimited paid time off (PTO) is continuing to grow. Even before the pandemic, some industry leaders started implementing unlimited PTO and flexible work structures that allowed employees to take time as needed, so long as it didn’t interrupt with their ability to meet deadlines and finish tasks. 

Providing support through wellbeing programs that your employees will love is only half the battle for industry leaders. There’s no use in offering a wellbeing program if your employees never actually participate, which is where incentives come in.

The CDC found that approximately 24-48% of Americans, depending on the state they reside in, sleep less than the recommended amount of seven hours per night. In fact, 70 million Americans have some kind of sleeping disorder and 30% of those include short-term insomnia. 

Employees do a lot for our companies. In fact, they’re the backbones of our organizations. They’re the people who turn visions into reality, who keep the wheels turning on your business and your customers happy. 

Just because companies find themselves in a remote setting doesn’t mean they still can’t have fun. Virtual holiday party ideas for work are becoming more popular as we enter a post-pandemic era, allowing industry leaders to host virtual holidays and virtual parties in order to maintain their company culture and a sense of community. 

Given the state of the pandemic, and as especially as so many businesses will likely get into some form of a remote or a hybrid work environment permanently, a lot of businesses are asking one question: should we monitor our employees more?

We already know that employees place a high importance on their workplace benefits. In fact, more than 40% of employees said that they were more likely to stay at their current organization if their employer provided mental health benefits, and Chipotle saw a 3.5 increase in their retention rate for employees who took advantage of their education program.

As the month of July is upon us, it’s important to remember that the values and sentiments of Juneteenth don’t end in July. The observation and celebration of equity, inclusivity, and diversity in the workplace should be the norm and is something we need to carry on every month of the year.