Strengthening Employee Health — A Core Equation In The Bottom Line
By Nadine Leslie
For any responsible corporation, the ongoing pandemic has dramatically broadened an employer’s focus on the health of their workforce to include the serious emotional challenges now confronting employees.
Throughout the pandemic about four in ten Americans have reported symptoms of anxiety or depressive disorders (Kaiser Family Foundation) and a survey from Indeed found 52 percent of workers are feeling burned out, a 9 percent increase from pre-COVID polls. In April 2021, a record four million employees left their jobs in the United States. A key reason cited for quitting is “burnout” according to MetLife’s annual U.S. Employee Benefit Trends Study.
That level of anxiety is unlikely to recede anytime soon, compelling companies to recognize the crisis, but more importantly, to put in place programs that address this aftershock from COVID-19.
With a workforce of 3,000 employees stretching across 50 states, SUEZ has made mental and emotional health a priority, expanding the program of its recently conducted third annual SUEZ Global Health Day. Originally launched to foster positive habits and encourage employees to chart a healthy daily regimen, this annual program has taken on additional importance of creating the type of emotional self-awareness required of professionals tasked with protecting our environment. It further supports what research has already revealed; a link between physical, mental, and emotional health and employee performance.
For SUEZ Global Health Day, our employees were encouraged to start with stretching sessions — whether at one of our facilities, in the office, or at home, followed by nutritious breakfasts for those at our facilities. This was followed by online workshops throughout the day, including a Hackensack Meridian seminar about the role of nutrition as well as a guided meditation session.
Setting aside a day for personal health is a start, but we recognize the need to go even further. As the CEO of SUEZ North America it’s my responsibility to provide our employees with the necessary tools, motivation, and assurance to prevent burnout and promote a healthy lifestyle, both at work and at home.
The last eighteen months have taught all of us we cannot take our health for granted. If we’re going to dedicate nearly one-third of our lifetimes to our careers it’s crucial to spend that time in a positive, healthy, supportive environment. SUEZ is committed to remaining on the forefront of employee physical and emotional health. We suggest other sectors and businesses establish similar programs, initiatives, and campaigns to ensure their employees are empowered to protect their health, and that of their family.
As Corporate America begins an autumn exploration of how best to return to the office, the fractured nature of the past eighteen months will become even more apparent. Anxiety, depression, social angst and apprehension will hang in the company breakroom. There needs to be a recognition that going forward, companies will need to focus on the emotional, mental and physical health of its employees with the same intense focus that had been traditionally reserved for the bottom line.
Nadine Leslie is the CEO of SUEZ North America. She serves as a board member of the Water Research Foundation and the National Association of Water Companies. She is also a member of the board of trustees for Hackensack Meridian Health Network and Provident Bank.