GrokTalk Blog

The global pandemic prompted wide-reaching industries to pivot to remote workforces. Few employees were prepared for this seemingly radical shift even though the work from home trend had evolved by upwards of 400 percent during the last decade, according to remote workforce statistics published by Tech Republic. Those who were unprepared or not well suited to the change grew tired of working from home relatively quickly. Some developed the telltale signs of work from home fatigue and digital fatigue from excessive screen usage. These issues can be overcome with sound policies, infrastructure, and time management strategies.

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.

People are often shocked to learn that, on average, Americans spend about one-third of their lives at work, which equates to 90,000 hours or ten full years on the clock. Considering how work-intensive our society has become, it’s no wonder why workers value their wellbeing, safety, and security at work now more than ever.

When you hear the term mindfulness, you might think of tropical vacations, yoga classes, or sitting crossed legged on a beach. However, mindfulness can also be a practice that you can implement into the daily life of your organization. 

In the U.S., 83 percent of workers experience work-related stress at the cost of 300 billion dollars a year. Statistics show that mental health conditions are increasing, and occupational stress plays a role. Incorporating stress management in the workplace can create a healthy environment that supports employees and their emotional health and wellbeing. 

Employee burnout is responsible for an estimated 125 billion to 190 billion dollars in healthcare costs each year in the U.S. Stress with a job is not new. Still, this particular brand of it does appear to be escalating. In 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared employee burnout an “occupational phenomenon” in the 11the version of the International Classification of Diseases. What causes employee burnout, and what can employers do to prevent it? 

If you're trying to encourage your workers and help them be their best, one of the ways you can do that is to show them how to work with their emotions as well as with their thoughts. Since people attach so much emotion to what they're thinking a lot of the time, one of the biggest goals is to help them experience emotional agility. But what that means, how it can be used properly in the workplace, and why it's important may all be foreign concepts. Here's what you need to know.

Social interaction is vital in the workplace, but in the last year, more employees than ever before have been experiencing a different kind of workspace — one that doesn't come with a water cooler or shared conversations next to the morning coffee pot. Some of these people will eventually return to life as they once knew it, while many will continue on the remote path. Without the proper skills or tools, remote work can become very lonely and isolating. This, in turn, can lead to many health problems, both physically and emotionally.

When thinking about workplace wellness and wellbeing, it can be difficult to know where to start.   

Making healthy eating choices has become a major stressor for the modern worker. 

Get ready to mark your employee communications calendar—and cross-reference with your wellbeing program—because we’ve got a list of health and wellness holidays you’ll want to promote in the first quarter of 2019!

Employee wellness has been a buzzword for years—and in fact, for those paying close attention, it’s being replaced by employee wellbeing to accommodate an ever-broadening definition of what it means to achieve a healthy work/life balance. If you’re like most HR professionals, you’re focused on delivering benefits that add value to both your employees’ lives and organization’s bottom line. Employee wellness—or wellbeing—programs are an excellent place to start.