Employee Longevity in Workplace

The average human life expectancy has risen rapidly in the last few decades thanks to the innovation in medical science, but as life expectancy increases, many people will want to or need to work longer. Individuals now wish to work longer than the traditional retirement rates in order to continue being happy, productive & lead a comfortable lifestyle. While this continues to be an ongoing trend, we also see higher turnovers, periods of recession & ongoing mental health crises & difficulties in managing work-life balance. Corporations have noticed that in the post pandemic world, employees are constantly struggling to manage the demands of increasing work pressures & showing up at the workplace. It is thus an interesting way to think, how can corporations ensure that employees work consistently & happily in workspaces, finding their work meaningful & having a sense of purpose. Following are few ways in which corporations can ensure employee longevity and happiness at work: ● Define corporate longevity - In a traditional corporate sense, longevity is how long you stick to a job whereas in a sustainable wellness sense, longevity refers to an employee's durability. Corporates from time to time need to ask themselves: looking at the ever changing market conditions, how can we create jobs that are more durable for our employees ? What are the things we can do in our company to make the work environment ideal- growth oriented, meaningful & healthy ? ● Focus on making employees feel safe & secure - have better work protocols, disciplined working hours, mental health breaks, work-life boundaries & zero tolerance policy towards discrimination could be important focal points. Employees should feel psychologically comfortable in addressing issues related to their personal lives (hiring a counsellor or having mental health check-ins, workshops, mental health gyms & sessions). ● Bring work at play - Innovation, experimentation & invention is the key to making work productive, healthy & fun. Organizing wellness workshops & camps that focus on team building, stress buster sessions, laughter camps & sessions that focus on art, entertainment & physical fitness (gyms, yoga camps) could be beneficial to employees. ● Design workspaces efficiently - Reading rooms (office library), recreation rooms, nap time areas & places to relax & chill between work hours could make workspaces more alive & appealing. These spaces could also help in creating a sense of community & belonging between employees, places where employees interact beyond office cabins ! ● Focus on the core business while at the same time experimenting with different strategies & innovations: using social media effectively, creating opportunities where employees can utilize & share their skills & talents, aligning them with values of the company could make employees feel a sense of ownership, encourage risk taking & create healthy challenges at work. They could bring different aspects of their diverse & creative selves at work thereby leading to more excitement & lesser stress, boredom & complacency. Corporate wellness programs are a great way to ensure employee safety, health & happiness. In the last few years, they have been successful all over the world, in creating work environments that are happy and healthy: keeping employees at the core, addressing their holistic needs & making workplaces more productive, engaging & exciting.