Four HR Wellness Trends Predicted In 2019

The consideration of wellness and mental health within the working environment continues to evolve and maintain its position of importance within the department of HR.

‘The top five stress symptoms causing missed work days are constant fatigue (29%); sleeplessness (26%); aches and pains (24%); high anxiety (23%) and weight gain (18%).’
– Career Builder.

As a result of these stressed-related absences they can cost employers about $3.5 billion each year.’ – Work place Safety and Prevention Services.

Jigsaw Cloud uncovers the top four wellness trends predicted for the year 2019 and why employee wellness should remain a high priority within HR departments:

1. Addressing Burnout

In the modern age, employees are under more stress than ever before, both within the work place and during everyday life. ‘It’s no surprise that in a recent Gallup survey, 44% of employees reported feelings of burnout at work.’ – Forbes. Employee burnout affects all industries, which results in low engagement, low productivity, increased errors and more safety incidents.

HR departments and companies can take several steps to work towards decreasing employee burnout. This can be encouraging employees to take regular breaks, approving paid leave and creating flexible working schedules when needed.

2. Personalisation

Not everyone has the same personality, each worker has their own set of needs, challenges and long-term career goals. Employees should not be addressed as simply a faceless mass. Making employees feel they are perceived more as individuals can improve overall wellness, productivity and create a more positive working environment.

With continuous developments being made within HR technology, programmes and feedback should be designed to tailor to each employee’s individual needs. Technology should give employees data and information that is relevant to them, their aspirations and their job role within the company.

If personalised technology requires too big of a budget for a company to invest in, simple techniques, such as feedback forms, can help HR departments receive a more in-depth analyses of each individual employee.

3. Addressing Mental Health

‘Hidden’ diseases and mental health issues are becoming something increasingly addressed and discussed over recent years. ‘Approximately 1 in 4 people in the UK will experience a mental health problem each year.’

‘In England, 1 in 6 people report experiencing a common mental health problem (such as anxiety and depression) in any given week.’
– Mind.org.

Companies and organisations should give their leaders and HR employees proper mental health training when it comes to helping and supporting employees. A decrease in mental health can damage an employee’s overall wellbeing, stress and performance.

HR departments should introduce ways to remove the barriers of keeping mental health a secret and provide regular opportunities to openly discuss mental health issues within the office.

4. Wellness Programmes

More and more company HR departments are investing in training and wellness programmes in order to maintain happy and healthy employees.

Training programmes related to a person’s individual role can significantly increase an employee’s overall state of mind.

‘If an employee can perform a wide range of tasks, they become more useful to their employer, and are a greater asset to their business or organization as a result. At the same time, the employee is able to recognize their increased value, as well as directly experience a growing skill set.’
– Human Resources MBA.

When the employee feels they have an increase in company value, they instantly obtain a more positive state of mind.

Other types of courses which increase an employee’s state of mind, can include wellness events, company retreats, and lifestyle coaching.

Overall, HR trends in 2019 are predicted to focus on all employee’s mental state, as mental health issues become an increasingly and more openly discussed subject. Organisations and developments within HR technology allow each person to be viewed more as an individual, with individual needs and goals, rather than to simply group workers into a simple single mass.