Looking after employees doesn't mean giving them everything, but could mean longterm viability of the business, according to a wellness expert.
Wellness Council of America president Ryan Picarella sat down with TVNZ1’s Breakfast today ahead of speaking at the Southern Cross Being Well conference.
He said there was a global problem with mental health, levels of stress and burnout on the rise, and while there has been a shift in mindset to longterm viability for some, others also often mistook wellness as giving employees everything they want and "do all the sandals and candles".
"There's going to be a tipping point where businesses have to see it [wellbeing] as a responsibility and if you don't I think honestly that business is probably not going to be sustainable for the long term," Mr Picarella said.
"It's not about having walking challenges or weight loss contests, it's much bigger than that.
"So if you're thinking about wellness and wellbeing as those types of things it's harder to make that connection. If you're thinking about wellness as 'I need a workforce that's going to show up every day and give it their best selves, if they have issues that the organisation is going to be there to help them work through it' then I think that the leaders certainly get it."
He added, especially since many of our waking hours are spent at work, it's the responsibility of an organisation to take better care of it's workers.
"Dealing with all the messiness of life and helping employees sort of navigate those challenges, whether it's financial wellness, for example, whether you're dealing with mental health issues, whether it's physical health or other types of things, like meaning and purpose of work, can have a huge economic impact at that company's bottom line."
Mr Picarella said there were several ways on how wellbeing can help achieve business goals, including a need for innovation and creativity and retaining and engaging top talent.
"If you're not thinking about how to take care of your employees you better be thinking hard about whether your business is going to be sustainable in the future.
"I think once you get there it becomes quite simple to see the results that you can have through healthy employers."
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