We counted down to World Sleep Day with The Sleep Forum.
Nox Health CEO Sigurjon Kristjansson (SK) recently shared with Forbes the increased importance of employee well-being efforts. As we enter into month seven of the pandemic here in the U.S., SK’s words ring increasingly true: “Now more than ever, it’s important for all of us to feel safe, cared for and healthy at work and at home…As we reimagine the future of work, there is tremendous opportunity for companies to create a culture of remarkable care.”
The pandemic has led to a rise in stress and anxiety as employees contend with health concerns, social isolation, employment and financial fears, family obligations and more. For many, this ongoing stress has impaired sleep and circadian rhythms at a time when healthy sleep is needed most.
To combat these issues, companies are stepping up to enhance employee support across the four main pillars of well-being: physical, emotional, financial and social. According to a recent survey by HR and consulting firm Mercer, our approach to fulfilling these pillars needs to change.
At SleepCharge, we’re able to offer a unique perspective on this topic due to our dual role as an employer with individuals across the globe and as an organization that helps some of America’s largest employers prioritize the well-being of their workforce by improving employees’ sleep health. Here is how we have hit reset on these four pillars of well-being, both within our own organization and on behalf of our clients:
Physical Well-being
We have chosen to take our SleepCharge offices virtual during this season and will not require our employees to return to a physical office space until we are sure it is safe. With years of experience delivering telehealth solutions for clients, transitioning our own offices to a digital environment was natural and has been quite seamless. Simultaneously, we have taken steps to better support the physical health of our clients’ employees by doubling down on our telemedicine platform, expanding our capabilities and enhancing the patient experience.
Emotional Well-being
Our team made moves early on to re-evaluate our own benefits, and we’ve made adjustments to better support our employees in the face of many external factors affecting mental and emotional health. We’ve mirrored this increased support on the client side, too, by expanding our SleepCharge Care Team training to provide amplified care to patients as they deal with unprecedented levels of stress, anxiety and sleep issues. Sleep is closely linked with mood and emotional well-being and should not be overlooked.
Financial Well-being
As we moved online, SleepCharge assumed all work-from-home expenses for things like equipment, office supplies and other materials needed for successful remote work. We believe money shouldn’t get in the way of doing great work—or getting better sleep. For our clients and our patients, we include physician consultations and any necessary testing before anyone is diagnosed, and only when they agree to a treatment plan will they pay anything.
Social Well-being
Internally, we have incorporated robust communication platforms to encourage social engagement with peers beyond just work-related communication. Team favorites include our Slack channels dedicated to #dogs, #food and #bookclub. Externally, socialization remains an important part of our patient care. It’s hard to stick to treatment in a vacuum, which is exactly why our SleepCharge Care Team exists. They proactively check in with patients and provide the human connection and support that enables us to see much higher treatment success compared to patients trying to resolve sleep issues alone.
Right now, there are many factors affecting our employees’ well-being that are out of our control; however, it is much more productive to focus on the things within our control. Whatever your field, there are plenty of steps that we as employers can take—and should continue to take—to keep our employees healthy, engaged and fulfilled. We all need to remember our associates are our most valuable resource and should always be valued as such.
Photo by Flamingo Images / AdobeStock
