Workplace Wellness: How And Why It Needs To Be Measured.
Kate Lister, President of Global Workplace Analytics, highlights the critical need for organizations to measure workplace wellness by analyzing its substantial impact on employee health, productivity, and company finances—emphasizing that tailored strategies, validated tools like the WHO’s Human Performance Questionnaire, and industry-specific metrics are essential to quantify and improve factors such as absenteeism, chronic conditions, innovation, and overall well-being that directly affect the bottom line.
Insights from Kate Lister on Workplace Wellness
Kate Lister, President of Global Workplace Analytics, has dedicated much of her career to studying and making a business case for workplace strategies, especially workplace wellness. She emphasizes that companies often focus on reducing real estate costs while overlooking the significant financial impact of employee health and well-being.
"We are just beginning to see a huge impact that work and place, work culture and work practices can have on a person’s health and what that means to a company’s bottom line."
The Impact on the Bottom Line
Kate has reviewed over 4,000 documents, including case studies and research papers, to build models for measuring the economic, environmental, and societal benefits of workplace strategies. She notes:
- A person with depression loses 44 days a year in absenteeism and presenteeism.
- Health care costs are only a small part of the overall impact.
- 37% of the U.S. workforce is obese.
- 86% of the workforce has at least one chronic condition, and 40% have at least two.
Given that people spend at least half their waking hours at work, the workplace has a significant influence on health outcomes.
Measuring Hard-to-Quantify Factors
While productivity and engagement are often linked to wellness, factors like innovation and creativity can also be measured. Kate points to the World Health Organization’s Human Performance Questionnaire (HPQ), which has been validated by Harvard as a predictive measure. By collecting data on employee health conditions, organizations can estimate lost days and associated costs.
Productivity metrics will vary by industry. For example, in sales, metrics might include the number of client visits or prospect meetings. The key is to decide what you want to influence and conduct pre- and post-measurements.
No One-Size-Fits-All Solution
Kate stresses that solutions must be tailored to each organization:
"For creativity, research shows that creativity is strongest in quiet and best vetted in groups. You need your quiet time to come up with your ideas, then come together to flesh them out."
The Role of Trust in Change Management
Trust is crucial when implementing wellness initiatives. In organizations with trust, employees view new programs positively. In those without trust, employees may be suspicious of changes. Change management is essential to address fears and ensure stakeholders understand the benefits.
Kate’s company developed a course called The Case for Change to help leaders communicate effectively with managers, employees, and stakeholders. Many Fortune 500 companies use this course to overcome barriers to change.
Avoiding the Cookie-Cutter Approach
Kate warns against simply copying what other companies do:
"Even if you do the same thing on two floors of a building, it’s not going to have the same effect. You’ve got to get to the DNA of who you are. You can’t change that overnight and you can’t try to be something that you’re not by just changing the way you work."
Telecommuting and Management
The discussion also touched on telecommuting, referencing Yahoo’s decision to end its work-from-home policy. Kate quotes Sharon Wall, GSA Region Manager:
"Telework doesn’t create management problems, it reveals them."
She notes that effective management is about measuring performance by results, not by physical presence.
Anecdotes from the Field
Kate shares a story about a home-based call center agent who had to relocate her pet cow during calls, illustrating the diverse and sometimes unexpected challenges in workplace wellness.
Conclusion
Kate Lister’s insights highlight the importance of measuring workplace wellness, tailoring solutions to organizational culture, and fostering trust to ensure successful implementation. Measuring both tangible and intangible factors can help make a strong business case for investing in employee well-being.
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