The secrets to avoiding 'well-being washing'
For many of us, work is one of the most significant factors in our general health and mood. When it’s going well, it's excellent – creative, lucrative, sociable, all the good things. But when it’s not, we can feel overloaded and stressed.
Post Covid, many companies are making an effort to show they care. Better hours, working from home, lunchtime yoga classes – and stats suggest that employees value these initiatives. IWG’s Hybrid Talent Magnet study found that 88% of HR executives believed they would reduce staff turnover if they offered more appealing wellness benefits. Even more strikingly, more than two-thirds (68%) have experienced applicants turning down a job because of a lack of such benefits.
Still, business leaders need to deliver more than surface-level perks to create a genuinely healthy work environment. A term gaining momentum in the corporate lexicon is 'well-being washing', referring to companies that seem to champion employee well-being but lack substantial, action-oriented plans to back it up. In fact, a survey by Claro Well-being suggests that 38% of employees need clarification about their employer's commitment to actual wellness initiatives. So, what’s the best way for businesses to demonstrate that they're serious about well-being? The answer lies in hybrid working.
IWG's research is part of a growing body of evidence that flexible, hybrid work models can directly boost employee happiness, productivity, and overall well-being. Unlike superficial wellness initiatives, hybrid working represents a fundamental shift in work culture.
Genuine commitments
A report by McKinsey Health found that there has been "unprecedented investment" in employee mental health and well-being over the past three years. This includes efforts like "meditation app subscriptions, well-being days, and training on time management and productivity."
“But while these are commendable, even laudable actions, genuine commitment to employee well-being involves addressing more systemic issues. Workplace burnout often stems from factors such as overload, lack of support, and the need for greater work-life balance. Hybrid working can help address these concerns”, says Joanne Bushell, MD, IWG Plc. South Africa.
According to IWG’s Happy and Healthy study, hybrid workers are healthier, happier and more productive as a result of working closer to home. The average hybrid worker is now getting 4.7 hours of exercise a week, compared to 3.4 hours before the pandemic. They’re sleeping longer (the equivalent of three days’ worth of extra sleep a year) because they don’t have those long commutes, and they have more time to cook nutritious meals during the week.
There are other upsides, too, like the ability to work from an office that suits personal preferences, whether that’s in location, design or the type of meeting rooms available, and the ability to collaborate effectively in flexible and modern meeting spaces.
The bottom line
Happy, well-slept, well-fed staff who enjoy the freedom to choose how they work will always be more productive. According to Stanford economics professor Nicholas Bloom, this productivity increase can be as much as 3-4%, which adds up significantly over time. Global Workplace Analytics shows that hybrid working can save organisations more than ZAR 200 000 per employee a year on average. Investing in this kind of working model isn’t just about avoiding 'well-being washing' — it's a smart business move. After all, employers can expect a return as high as R92.00 for every R 19.00 spent on health and wellness initiatives like this, according to Deloitte. So, the advantages are mutual and considerable. Those added extras – the apps, the yoga, the away days – can be the cherry on top.
About IWG
IWG is the global leader in hybrid work solutions and workspace brands. We create personal, financial, and strategic value for businesses of every size, from some of the most exciting companies and well-known organisations on the planet to individuals and the next generation of industry leaders. They all harness the power of IWG's hybrid working platform to increase their productivity, efficiency, agility, and market proximity.
IWG’s unrivalled network coverage includes approximately 3,500 locations across more than 120 countries, and 83% of Fortune 500 companies are amongst our growing customer base.
Through our brands, including Regus, Spaces, HQ and Signature, we help millions of people and their businesses to work more productively. We do so by providing the world's leading hybrid work platform with professional, inspiring and collaborative workspaces and digital services, all available via the IWG app. For more information
Visit www.iwgplc.com, and for more information on partnering with IWG, see: https://www.iwgplc.com/develop-a-location
