Engagement has been a priority for companies for years, but according to Gallup, more progressive employers are beginning to see satisfaction and engagement as just smaller components of what their workforce cares about, which is wellbeing.

Unfortunately, a culture of wellbeing has mostly been a “slogan” or just a generic health program and delegated to the human resources department to tactically manage healthcare costs. Actual wellbeing is not a “program,” it is not a “topic,” but rather a mindset, ethos, or most successfully a cultural orientation within the workplace. According to a Gallup study in 2019, if employees had higher well-being in year one, they would tend to have a higher engagement at work in year two as well as an increased positive change in wellbeing in year two.

Conversely, if employees are struggling or suffering, this attitude negatively affects the overall workplace environment and the team. Managers highly influence organizational culture, and if managers discuss and promote wellbeing as the norm then his/her employees get more involved in wellbeing activities. If managers are not engaged, then this cascade to employees does not exist. Wellbeing is an ethos and a commitment to creating a healthier, happier, and more productive workforce, community, and world. It is up to the leaders within organizations to focus on empowering and creating the conditions for employees to thrive and be well personally, professionally, physically and financially. Unfortunately, we still have the debate regarding does well-being make a difference. The answer is yes.