The Impact of COVID-19 and Implementing Employee Wellness Programs
The digital-first health strategies adopted by countries across the globe to control the spread of the COVID-19 virus have dramatically changed the ways healthcare must operate. Remote monitoring, telehealth platforms and AI-powered assessment apps have all become part of the first phase of the new normal.
Safely reopening workplaces necessitates the provision of guidance and support as employees navigate the next phase. Part of this is a need for better online tools to ensure health, monitor wellbeing, and maintain employee engagement. The big challenges in the next phase include:
- Facilitating a successful return to work in the context of preserving health and wellness
- Reviving in-office cultures as employees return to their offices and re-acclimate to shared spaces and in-person interaction
- Re-engaging with a despondent and anxious workforce
- Safely and efficiently integrating workforce wellness into day-to-day activities
More than ever, employees need options to help them build resilience and mental wellbeing. This presents a massive undertaking for HR leaders. In HRchat 183, Dave Osborne, CEO at Virgin Pulse, returns to the podcast to offer timely advice on the impact of COVID-19 as it relates to how HR can swiftly and efficiently implement a new generation of wellness initiatives.
Listen to this interview to learn:
- How companies with limited resources can integrate workforce wellness into their day-to-day activities
- What steps HR professionals should take to ensure a successful and safe return to work
- How leaders can begin to revive cultures
- The mental challenges faced by employees beginning to return to in-person interactions
- Ways leaders can leverage digital technologies to re-emphasize and reinforce company culture, structures, and protocols
About David Osborne
David is a business technology leader with more than 20 years’ experience in global sales, operations, transformation planning, and execution. As CEO of Virgin Pulse, he is responsible for streamlining, optimizing, and scaling Virgin Pulse as the company continues its aggressive growth strategy and solidifies its position as the largest workplace wellbeing company in the world.
About Virgin Pulse
Virgin Pulse, founded in 2004 as part of Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Group, designs technology that cultivates good lifestyle habits for employees.
ThriveX Virtual Event
Throughout June, Virgin Pulse will be broadcasting ThriveX, a virtual event to empower health, wellbeing and safety leaders to connect, plan, and navigate with confidence. Speakers include Dr. David Katz, Public Health Expert, Dr. Laurie Santos, Cognitive Scientist and Professor of Psychology at Yale University, Dr. Martin Makary, Johns Hopkins Surgeon and Professor of Health Policy, Dr. Matthew Walker, UC Berkeley Professor of Neuroscience and Psychology, and Josh Bersin, Global Industry Analyst.
Found this helpful? Check out these related HRchat interviews:
- The Evolution of Workplace Wellness with David Osborne and Rajiv Kumar, Virgin Pulse
- Investing in the Health and Happiness of Employees with Esther Dyson, Wellville
- Fitness Incentive Programs For Employees with Heidi Holliday, Self Esteem Brands
- Supporting Employees with Family Needs with Mike Civello, Rethink Benefits
- How the Pandemic Will Transform the Future World of Work with Jeanne Meister, Future Workplace