Wellist

Laura Bowser, who leads Fahrenheit Advisors Human Capital Consulting Practice, recently had the privilege of interviewing Ashley Reid, CEO of Wellist. Recently awarded Fast Company’s Most Innovative companies of 2024, Wellist is transforming the accessibility of benefits by ensuring they are available and tailored to meet employees' individual needs. For fellow HR leaders looking to enhance your benefits strategies, consider adopting Wellist’s innovative approaches. Feel free to reach out to Ashley for expert guidance. She’s making significant strides in the field! #HumanResources #EmployeeBenefits #Leadership #Innovation

How can employers address mental health challenges in the workplace? According to a recent Lyra Health report, 87% of employees reported experiencing at least one mental health challenge in the past year while only 33% received mental health support. The good news is that 55% of employers are starting to address mental health in the workplace. To build on that momentum, HR teams and company leadership need to: 💡 Facilitate an open, safe dialogue about mental health at work  💡 Foster strong communication between managers and their teams to address work-related burnout at its cause  💡 Invest in benefits that truly meet the unique mental health needs of the employee population

If you haven’t met us yet, we’re Wellist: A next-gen aggregator that personalizes "Right resource. Right time." Recognized as one of Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies in Human Resources, we provide HR leaders: • Unprecedented data and insights to optimize benefits spend • Precision, clinically-driven personalization • Omni-channel access and “micro-search” across vendor silos • Integrated community resources for whole-person support • Full ownership of employee activation • A true commitment to partner delight Learn more: https://wellist.com/

In 2023, only 54% of employees reported feeling content with their employer’s benefits and 40% of employers stated that when their employees left, it was for a company or role with better overall benefits (Forbes). With such a big disconnect between the support employers offer and the benefits employees end up using, what can companies do to offer the right benefits at the right time? At Wellist we believe that it starts with… 👂 Listening to employees preferences and needs  ☀ Providing everyday resources in addition to essential benefits  📊 Building a personalized benefits experience

What if Monday was the new Sunday? 💡 This is the question many proponents of the four-day work week have been asking themselves for years. In 2024, we can understand the positives and drawbacks of committing to the condensed working schedule. A recent Gallup poll found that workers chose the four-day work week as the policy that has had the biggest positive impact on well-being. Paid mental health days off and restrictions on after-hours work also ranked highly for all employees. However, the 4️⃣ vs. 5️⃣ -day work week could pose issues for some. With the same amount of work to do in a shorter amount of time, employees could subject themselves to overwork and eventual burnout. What do you think about the four-day workweek? Has your company implemented something similar? ⬇ ⬇ ⬇

How well do employees know their benefits? Chances are, if you ask any employee what their favorite employer benefit is, they might respond by saying their medical, dental, or vision programs. But we know that companies offer so much more than health plan coverage. Since the pandemic and latest “great resignation,” many employers have started offering holistic benefits that support the complex needs of everyday life, not only to stand out in competitive hiring markets, but also to retain their top talent. So why don’t employees know what’s being offered? It might be because 63% of HR leaders state that employee education is the most difficult part of benefits administration (Employee Benefit News). In order to help every single employee understand and ultimately utilize the benefits that are available to them, consistent and effective education is the key. 🗝

While the phrase “work-life balance” has become synonymous with flexibility in the workplace, what does it actually look like in practice? Mercer's 2023 study on employee engagement concludes that many employees still feel overwhelmed at work to the point that they sacrifice their personal lives for the sake of their jobs. Only two out of three employees report being able to fully detach from work after hours and only 69% of employees feel like their workload is reasonable. So how can employers strive towards flexible work cultures? At Wellist we know it goes beyond a hybrid environment and manageable workload. To truly support employees, it’s critical that employers offer benefits and resources that help people maintain balance. Wellist’s employer solution is built to help maximize employee well-being and satisfaction by aggregating custom resources specific to each employee’s situation, whether that means providing childcare and home cleaning or transportation and meal delivery.

Are we underestimating the role of individual managers in boosting employee engagement? As the nature of work shifts, a recent article by CNBC purports that 70% of managers feel unprepared to manage direct reports in a hybrid environment. When employees miss out on direct manager interaction, specifically in the form of feedback (whether praise or constructive criticism), a disconnect can emerge between an employee’s feeling of purpose and their employer. We would love to hear your thoughts on how leadership can support individual managers, and in turn improve employee engagement on the whole. ⬇

This Black History Month, it’s important to acknowledge and address a persisting gap in inclusion for Black employees. A recent study by Employee Benefit News explored why 49% of Black employees are looking to change jobs. Ultimately, it can come down to a misalignment in company values and everyday workplace environments. For example, while 73% of surveyed Black employees agree that DEI training makes meaningful impacts on workplace inclusion, only 47% of employees believe that DEI efforts that have been implemented accurately reflect the core values of the organization they are a part of. A variety of factors, including misalignment of company and personal values and lack of diversity in leadership can impact that inclusion gap. It’s critical that employers and leadership teams truly live their values to create inclusive and supportive environments for all employees every single day.

Companies are moving away from fully remote work in 2024. According to BenefitsPRO, postings for remote jobs have dropped by 25% since 2021, and the average in-office workdays for U.S. companies has increased from 1.1 to 3.4 in from 2021 to 2023. With the increase in return to work mandates, employers need to ensure they are balancing RTO and employee satisfaction with: ➡ Clear communication from leadership  ➡ Enhanced in-person team building initiatives  ➡ Expanded benefits offerings to support in-office workers What’s most important to your team as you return to in-person work?