Can work support wellness?
Amid the early days of the pandemic, our team thought a lot about what it means to be and stay well. As COVID brought our physical health to the forefront of our minds, we also reflected on other essential aspects of wellness–-the ability to thrive mentally and emotionally as individuals, and having the space and time to care for our loved ones and our communities. As a company who brought on employees right as the pandemic hit, we had a unique opportunity to design for what is possible and not get stuck in old cycles of work.
At Emergence, we’re intentional about creating an environment that cares for all those elements of our health. Yet across the country, there’s a pervasive feeling of burnout that workplaces aren’t effectively addressing. In an article examining the “Great Resignation,” the New York Times reports that millions are leaving the workplace, that “for the first time since 1972, more Americans say they’re not too happy vs. very happy,” and that only one third of Americans feel engaged in their jobs.
So what does the future hold? Can work actually serve as a support to lead us back to wellness? At Emergence, we believe it can–but as systems change often demands, it’s going to take a radical shift.
The first thing we know is critical: giving all workers comprehensive benefits. At Emergence we’re proud to cover the total cost of our team’s health insurance costs, including vision and detail coverage, as well as long-term disability coverage.
But for us as a team, that’s just the start. We’re even more proud of our mindset that being well–and feeling whole–should take priority. That doesn’t mean the work suffers. In fact, we know that honoring the demands and interests of our team member’s lives beyond the workplace restores our energy and our commitment, so that we’re able to bring our very best to our partners and clients.
In practice, that means providing four weeks of paid vacation time to every member of our team, in addition to paid holidays (and including the week between Christmas and New Years). It means providing a three percent retirement savings match, and covering the cost of life insurance, encouraging time off and flexible work schedule. And it means providing funds to each staff member devoted to wellness–and a biannual opportunity to have Emergence donate to the nonprofit organization of each employee’s choice.
By honoring each other as individuals, and recognizing we are so much more than our job–our workplace thrives with energy, positivity, and a sense of collective wellness. We wish the same for every employee out there. And we hope that this moment in our history will drive more workplaces in this essential direction.