Creating an Effective Employee Wellbeing Strategy to Prevent Burnout

An employee wellbeing strategy is a comprehensive approach that organisations implement to promote and support the physical, mental, and emotional health of employees. Moving beyond traditional health benefits, it includes programs, tools, and policies to create a supportive work environment, prevent burnout, encourage work-life balance, and build a culture where employees feel valued.

An effective wellbeing strategy includes components like:

• Mental Health Support: Offering resources like counselling services, stress management workshops, and mental health days.
• Physical Health Initiatives: Providing fitness programs, wellness challenges, and access to nutritious meal options.
• Work-Life Balance Support: Establishing flexible working hours, remote work options, and tools that support effective time management.
• Personal Growth Opportunities: Giving employees access to learning and development programs for career and personal growth.

Burnout affects over 70% of employees in high-performance industries, impacting productivity, morale, and mental health. Addressing burnout requires a thoughtful, people-centred approach that balances growth and wellbeing, focusing on long-term success over short-term wins.

Thrive.App offers several tools to help organisations recognise and address burnout proactively. Here’s how:

• Pulse Surveys: Thrive.App enables organisations to conduct regular pulse surveys, providing insights into employee wellbeing. These surveys can assess factors such as stress levels, job satisfaction, and overall morale, helping to detect early signs of burnout.
• Real-Time Feedback Mechanisms: The platform facilitates two-way communication, allowing employees to share feedback and concerns in real-time. This open channel helps managers identify issues like decreased motivation or increased cynicism promptly.
• Health and Wellbeing Content: Provide curated well-being resources directly within the app, empowering users with practical tips to support a balanced lifestyle. Include healthy recipe ideas, intra-work stretching exercise videos, and other wellness content to reduce stress and encourage work-life balance. Regular engagement with this content can indicate employees' proactive approach to managing their wellbeing.
• Social Connection Features: The app promotes social interaction through features like photo walls and recognition tools and recognition tools, helping to identify employees who may be isolating themselves or showing signs of detachment.
• Customisable Well-Being Reminders: Thrive.App lets teams set Push Notifications as reminders to check in with themselves and prioritise wellness, helping to combat the stress that can arise in high-performance environments.

In recent years, several high-profile companies have made headlines over employee wellbeing—or lack thereof. These cases highlight the growing recognition of the need for strong employee wellbeing strategies.

Amazon: A Lesson in Genuine Recognition

Reported Amazon employee burnout has been making headlines for many years now, with the organisation receiving criticism for its demanding work environment. Amazon has attempted to address these issues with its “WorkingWell” program, which includes health clinics, stretching stations, and mindfulness resources to help workers manage stress. However despite this commitment to Employee Recognition and wellbeing, recently, an Amazon worker’s viral photo of a “thank you” bag containing five pieces of candy for record-setting Prime Day sales sparked a backlash online. Many saw this gesture as symbolic of larger concerns regarding worker appreciation and wellbeing.

For employees to feel truly valued, the recognition often needs to align with their needs and the organisation’s values, showing a real commitment to their wellbeing rather than a surface-level acknowledgment. In this case, the candy bag missed the mark on demonstrating that kind of meaningful engagement.

Tips for Supporting Mental Health and Avoiding Burnout

Through Thrive.App, we encourage organisations to implement practices that support their teams and keep burnout at bay. Here are a few tips:

• Integrate Wellness Into Your Daily Routine: Thrive.App makes it easy to incorporate wellness with gentle reminders and accessible resources, allowing users to develop healthy habits without disruption.
• Promote Positive Communication: With tools like group check-ins and individual recognition, Thrive.App fosters a supportive environment where people feel comfortable reaching out and celebrating success.
• Take Small Breaks Often: Thrive.App includes resources on the benefits of micro-breaks, helping users recharge without losing momentum.

Building a Well-Being Culture with Thrive.App

Our mission is to help organisations build a culture that values mental health and authenticity, offering a unique alternative to high-pressure environments. Every feature is crafted to support balanced growth and promote healthy interactions, making us a partner in your journey toward a supportive and engaged workplace.

We're here to support employee health, helping teams feel better while they work and bringing positive change to everyday work life.