Supporting your aging workforce is not only beneficial to employees, but it can ensure a good balance of skills for your workplace.

The concept of “productive aging” is not new. Robert Butler, a Pulitzer Prize-winning author and founding director of the National Institute on Aging , first coined the term in the early 1980s.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) identifies four key attributes of productive aging:

• A life-span perspective
• Comprehensive and integrated strategies
• Outcomes that recognize the priorities of workers and organizations
• Work culture that supports age diversity

With age comes ability

Older workers bring several attributes that contribute to an organization’s success. A 2023 article from the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) discusses where older workers tend to excel, including:

• Relationship building
• Negotiation
• Leadership
• Communication skills
• Loyalty
• Patience
• General know-how
• Strong work ethic
• Problem-solving skills

Statistics show the need for workers of all ages

The percentage of workers 65 or older has grown by 117% in a span of 20 years, while employment of individuals 75 years or older has likewise increased by 117%, reports the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), citing numbers from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The overall number of older people is projected to continue to grow from 2030-2050, as well. Despite fears of that population keeping up with technology, it shouldn’t be a concern, according to Gary A. Officer, president and CEO of the Center for Workforce Inclusion.

“With the rapid advances in artificial intelligence, companies will need established and skilled workers more than ever for the skills that cannot be replaced by AI, such as relationship building, negotiating and leadership,” he told SHRM. “While technology can rapidly accelerate what we can accomplish, it cannot replace a human with years of established soft skills and communication skills.”

At the same time, employers should focus on knowledge transfer with their older workers.

“Leaders should be looking to learn from subject matter experts and work with them to transfer skills to other team members,” said Jody Rogers, SFM Senior Vice President, Human Resources. “It helps organizations figure out what’s important to train on and to identify gaps, therefore departing employees should be looked at as important resources.”

Rogers said step one in this process is to foster an environment in which potential retirees can openly communicate their needs and share their retirement date without fear of retribution. She explained that change has to come from the top down within an organization, with managers and supervisors playing a crucial role.

“At SFM, we have created a culture that encourages employees come to us far in advance of their retirement, often a year or more, to tell us what they’re thinking for their future,” Rogers said. “That’s unheard of and it goes to show that a positive environment with open dialogue benefits everyone.”

Employers should also keep in mind that the population of younger employees with the education and skills to step into those roles is not large enough to fill all the positions currently held by employees with retirement plans in the near future.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce reports that as of 2023, the U.S. is experiencing a labor shortage of 75%, which means that 3 in 4 employers are unable to find suitable workers.

Rogers suggested organizations focus on hiring and retaining employees at all ages for their skills rather than based on the number of years they may be able to keep that person on staff. She said the quality of work older employees can contribute may make their shorter tenure worth it for an organization. For example, hiring experienced employees could come with benefits like a shorter onboarding and training period.

“If someone wants to come in everyday and work, and they are passionate about their work and highly skilled, why wouldn’t you want to hire them?” Rogers said. “There are also no guarantees a younger employee will stick around any longer than the employee nearing retirement age.”

Tips for supporting aging workers

Rogers shared a few ways employers can help maturing employees keep working while planning for their futures:

• Be open to providing opportunities for increased income, which may be especially beneficial for those employees looking to add to their retirement funds
• Allow employees to take on jobs with fewer responsibilities or that are less demanding. This may include transferring them to a different department and modifying their workspace or physical duties
• Accommodate flexible work schedules and arrangements, including remote and hybrid work
• Enable employees to reduce hours and shift from full-time to part-time
• Support employees who are caregivers for loved ones. This duty can cause an employee to miss a day or more of work, sometimes unexpectedly. Being a caregiver can be taxing on the employee emotionally, physically and financially
• Consider the needs of employees of all ages when choosing benefits for your workforce
• Encourage employees to participate in succession planning, professional development training and mentoring. Consider offering mentoring options that enable sharing knowledge in both directions because all generations can learn skills from one another

Conclusion

Overall, employers should put an emphasis on developing sustainable strategies for supporting the physical, mental and financial health of an aging workforce. This should encompass safety in the workplace and wellness in general. An added bonus is that these strategies can be beneficial for employees of all ages.

Originally published December 2019; updated May 2024.

​Employers that utilize a Total Worker Health method focus on multiple aspects of the well-being of their employees.

It’s a concept that has gained traction in recent years, with employers prioritizing a workplace free of hazards while also taking into account employees’ health, quality of life and more. These programs are shown to have several benefits , including:

• Improved morale
• Stronger employee productivity
• Better safety
• Additional sustainability practices

Looking for more on the basics of Total Worker Health? Here’s a more detailed introduction:

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) defines Total Worker Health as:

“(P)olicies, programs, and practices that integrate protection from work-related safety and health hazards with promotion of injury and illness-prevention efforts to advance worker well-being.”

“Integrate” is a key word in the definition. Total Worker Health takes a broad view of worker well-being, going beyond controlling hazards and reducing risks. It encourages a proactive approach to overall health and wellness and breaks down the traditional separation of worker safety initiatives and workplace wellness programs.

Total Worker Health means considering the whole person, including the individual outside of work.

Hear how employers describe what the practice means for their business and their employees:

Source: Healthier Workforce Center of the Midwest

Fundamentals of Total Worker Health Approaches

NIOSH released a workbook to get employers familiar with the concept of Total Worker Health.

Developed over the past decade, the workbook, “Fundamentals of Total Worker Health Approaches: Essential Elements for Advancing Worker Safety, Health, and Well-Being,” offers a foundation for bringing the concept into the workplace by outlining five defining elements of Total Worker Health:

1. Demonstrate leadership commitment to worker safety and health at all levels of the organization
2. Design work to eliminate or reduce safety and health hazards and promote worker well-being
3. Promote and support worker engagement throughout program design and implementation
4. Ensure confidentiality and privacy of workers
5. Integrate relevant systems to advance worker well-being

According to NIOSH, “each of the five Defining Elements of Total Worker Health should be present in a workplace that seeks to advance worker safety, health, and well-being with a Total Worker Health approach.”

The workbook delivers self-assessment worksheets to evaluate a company’s current policies, programs or practices in each of the five areas. It also walks through the creation of an action plan to further integrate Total Worker Health and worker well-being into the workplace.

Resources to adopt a Total Worker Health approach

Two related SFM blog posts connect the dots between employee wellness and workplace injury prevention:

• How to boost workplace safety efforts by connecting wellness
• Two key factors for a successful workplace wellness program

Originally posted February 2017; videos added July 2018; updated May 2024.

There is more to consider than return on investment (ROI) when measuring the success of your wellness program.

More employers are realizing that looking strictly at workplace wellness program ROI — money saved on health care costs for every dollar spent on the program — fails to encompass some of the very real, but tougher-to-calculate, business benefits of employee wellness.

In the 2022 Workplace Wellness Trends report from the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans (IFEBP), only 31 percent of employers say controlling or reducing health-related costs is their primary reason for offering wellness programs. The other 69 percent provide wellness programs with the goal of improving overall worker health and well-being.

That’s where value on investment (VOI) comes in.

When making the business case for your own corporate wellness program, measuring both ROI and VOI will illustrate a broader picture of the impact the program makes.

VOI is broader than ROI. It measures not just cost savings, but also other elements that contribute to work satisfaction, employee well-being and business performance, such as improved productivity and higher employee retention.

The value of employee well-being

According to IFEBP studies, common VOI measures among employers were:

• Health risk assessment data
• Healthcare costs
• Absenteeism
• Employee engagement
• Productivity
• Overall financials and growth
• Recruitment
• Disability/workers’ compensation claims
• Retention

VOI also includes costs that are avoided — such as future diseases that don’t occur and stress that is eliminated. Avoided costs contribute to savings for employers and employees.

Measuring workplace wellness program ROI

The focus on VOI doesn’t mean ROI isn’t still important when it comes to wellness programs.

According to a 2022 research report from Zippia, a firm that pushes for improving career outcomes, the healthcare benefits of wellness programs for employers are numerous. The data, culled from several sources, included several interesting findings:

• 72 percent of companies saw reduced healthcare costs after implementing a wellness program
• The average return on investment for employee wellness programs is 6:1
• Wellness programs can reduce absenteeism by up to 16 percent
• 87 percent of workers consider health and wellness offerings when choosing an employer

Additionally, the research showed that employees who participate in wellness programs have fewer sick days; such employees report being more productive; and some workers even had diseases detected by these programs, allowing them to start treatment earlier.

For more information from past studies, see our previous post, 10 statistics that make the case for workplace wellness programs.

When making the business case for your own corporate wellness program, measuring both ROI and VOI will illustrate a broader picture of the impact the program makes.

More on measuring wellness program VOI

For further reading, the following articles contain more information on measuring wellness program VOI:

• Evaluating the VOI of employee health benefits (SentryHealth)
• Metrics beyond ROA can capture wellness outcomes (SHRM)
• 5 ways to measure the VOI of corporate wellness programs (Wellness 360)

This post was originally published in July 2016 and updated in March 2024.

By Ceil Jung, RN, BSN, CCM

In many organizations, workplace safety efforts are kept separate from efforts to promote wellness among employees.

If your organization treats them as two separate initiatives, maybe it’s time to start thinking about the connections between wellness and workplace safety.

Why safety and health are naturally connected

Workers’ compensation data makes the connection between wellness and safety abundantly clear.

For example, obesity can exacerbate or cause workplace injuries.

“Employees with overweight and obesity may have higher loss of work productivity as measured by absenteeism, short and long-term disability, and worker’s compensation compared to employees with normal weight,” Dr. Clare J. Lee told the Endocrine Society in 2023 .

The organization studied 719,482 employees with and without obesity. Researchers found that the percentage of employees with work loss, number of hours/days lost from work, and costs associated with productivity loss were higher among people with overweight or obesity.

For people with obesity compared to individuals with normal weight, the increase in annual costs were:

• Absenteeism – $891
• Short-term disability – $623
• Long-term disability – $41
• Workers’ compensation – $112

The connection between safety and health just makes common sense.

Published in 2023, a study from the University of Ohio found that obese employees were twice as likely to file workers’ compensation claims and the costs of those claims were more than double than those filed by employees without obesity.

The cost of comorbidities

In workers’ compensation, we call contributing factors like obesity, diabetes, hypertension, drug abuse (including alcohol and tobacco) and mental health issues “comorbidities.”

The presence of one or more comorbidities can significantly increase the cost of a workers’ compensation claim.

In a study from United Healthcare , researchers found that individuals with a comorbidity had longer recovery timelines. Take something as simple as a forearm fracture. The disability duration can span:

• 43 days – typical without comorbidity
• 62 days – diabetes coexistence

Another recent study, this one from the Workers Compensation Research Institute on lower-back pain recovery, found that injured workers often have comorbidities, with the most prevalent being hypertension, arthritis, sleep dysfunction, depression, and anxiety or panic disorders.

Aside from what the studies show, the connection between safety and health just makes common sense.

We’ve probably all tried some new physical activity, and wound up sore the next day because we weren’t used to it.

Well, the same principle is at work when an employee who lives a sedentary lifestyle decides to do something like lift a heavy box at work. This employee is more likely to get hurt than someone who is used to activities like exercising and lifting weights.

Resources to help connect wellness and workplace safety

It’s easy to see why joining employee safety and wellness makes sense. It’s tougher to figure out how to actually do it. Thankfully, many resources are out there to help.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Total Worker Health Program is one of the best. Their website offers guidelines for creating a program that integrates safety and health, case studies of success and much more.

A Campbell Institute report mentions ways some companies have connected wellness and workplace safety. Two examples are a medical monitoring program that originated as a safety effort and a “metapostures” program that teaches employees stretches that “strengthen muscles and lubricate joints.”

SFM offers free wellness resources that will help keep employees healthier and safer.

The Get Fit & Exercise program presents simple exercises your employees can perform to help prevent shoulder injuries. The Get Up & Move stretching kit illustrates easy exercises and stretches that employees can do during the workday.

For more, read our Wellness in the workplace CompTalk or other blog posts about wellness.

Whichever tactics you use, watching out for your employees’ health and safety is an important way to show them you care about their well-being and build a positive work environment.

This post was originally published in February 2015 and updated January 2017 prior to this latest version.

Most U.S. employees are unhappy at work, according to a recent study from BambooHR , which showed a decline in employee satisfaction in over the past three years.

As an employer, should that concern you?

Yes! And here’s why…

An increasing body of research shows that a positive work environment fosters employee friendships, enhances personal well-being and ultimately benefits the organization’s bottom line.

Positive and virtuous workplaces lead to higher performance

To begin, the latest research from the University of Warwick says happiness made employees 12 percent more productive.

“The driving force seems to be that happier workers use the time they have more effectively, increasing the pace at which they can work without sacrificing quality,” said an economist who was part the team that conducted the study.

Beyond the increased productivity, there are other benefits of a happy workforce, including the employee motivation of peers, loyalty to the organization and enhanced creativity on the job.

Meanwhile, the post-pandemic work environment has forced employers to be more imaginative with fostering employee happiness. It’s not simply a matter of letting employees work from home.

Harvard Business Review in the fall of 2023 spoke with Adam Grant — psychologist, best-selling author, and chair of BetterUp’s Center for Purpose and Performance — in a piece about the importance of employee happiness. Creating a flexible work environment can take many forms, he said.

“Make a list of things workers want to be free of and things they want to have the freedom to do. And then you can play each of those out alongside choices about where we work, when we work, and how much we work,” Grant said in the article .

Still, as more employees work from home, employers should look to create an environment where employees feel connected. By encouraging certain behaviors in the workplace – among both front-line employees and leadership teams – employers can help workers feel happier.

A 2023 article from Nectar , an employee recognition software company, outlines some of the basics for employers:

• Enriching employee friendships
• Having managers measure progress by productivity, not time in the office
• Being open to feedback at all levels of the organization
• Learning about their employees likes and crafting office events based on those preferences

Also of note, data from Great Place to Work says employees are three times more likely to have a sense of well-being if they work in a fun environment.

Close friendships generate employee satisfaction

Friendships in the workplace are a big part of employee happiness.

Here is where the impacts of COVID-19 have had a residual effect. People in general have fewer close friends than they did before the pandemic, according to the American Survey Center .

And a 2022 piece from Gallup says having good friends at work is pivotal for employee engagement and career success. According to the article , employees who have a best friend at work are more likely to:

• Support a safe workplace with fewer accidents and reliability concerns
• Engage customers and internal partners
• Get more done in less time
• Innovate and share ideas
• Have fun while at work

Job satisfaction directly correlates to having a best friend at work, according to the Gallup study.

Employee happiness keeps workers safer and aids recovery

So, what does all this have to do with workers’ compensation?

Creating a positive work environment can help your employees stay safer and have a smoother recovery if they do become injured. Some of the reasons for this include:

• Workplace injuries are more common among new hires, so low employee turnover can help prevent injuries.
• In a positive environment, employees are comfortable reporting workplace safety issues and taking the time necessary to perform their jobs safely.
• When employees know their employers care about them, there’s less chance the claim process will become contentious if an injury does occur.
• Workplace friendships create an added incentive for employees to return to work as soon as medically possible after an injury.

The numerous benefits to creating a positive workplace make a compelling case for building a supportive, affirming work environment.

Originally published May 2017

Have you noticed your employees’ work stress levels rising recently? Are they eating at their desks to meet deadlines? Calling in sick? Snapping at co-workers?

Here’s how to recognize the signs of stress and tips on what you as an employer can do to prevent it from hurting your employees.

Research shows the harmful impacts of stress

Numerous studies have found that stress at work is a major cause for concern and leads to physical symptoms. In one survey conducted by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, National Public Radio and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 43 percent of workers said their job is bad for their stress – yikes!

In a 2021 APA Work and Well-being survey , more than 70 percent of workers say they typically feel tense or stressed out during their workday.

And the consequences: survey respondents reported that stress has an impact on their physical and mental health, results in overeating or skipping a meal, and nearly half say stress has caused them to lie awake at night in the past month. One in five respondents say they intend to seek employment outside of their company in the next year.

Persistent work-related stress can lead to lost productivity, health costs, burnout  and turnover.

NIOSH Director Dr. John Howard knows stress is bad for business and bad for workers. In a video for the Healthier Workforce Center of the Midwest , he says, “The most serious issue in the workplace for the development of illness that we in Total Worker Health need to solve is stress.”

Top five causes of work stress

Different aspects of work — some within employers’ control — cause this stress. The top five work stress factors in 2021, according to the APA, were:

1. Low salaries (56%)

2. Long hours (54%)

3. Lack of opportunity for grown or advancement (52%)

4. Too heavy of a work load (50%)

5. Lack of paid time off or sick leave (50%)

Do managers expect 24/7 communications? Research has found that employees feel “anticipatory stress” when they feel as if they need to respond to work email outside of work hours. Even if they haven’t received any work emails during their off hours, the anticipation that they’ll need to be ready to respond quickly brings work stress into the rest of their lives.

Strategies for employers to address work stress

Employers can take steps to prevent stress from interfering with employees’ productivity, health and well-being.

First of all, identify which work factors are causing the most stress for your employees. An anonymous employee survey can uncover stressors. Then, consider the overall work environment.

The Harvard Gazette’s report on the Workplace and Health study recommends that employers take a holistic approach:

“Experts say many of these health problems can be corrected if companies adopt a much more significant role creating a ‘culture of health’ in the workplace where workers feel empowered to pursue living a healthier life.”

Build stress-relieving activities such as mindfulness into your workplace wellness program, if you have one.

To keep work stress from carrying over into the rest of employees’ lives, management can set clear expectations – and set the example – of not responding to after-hours emails. Encourage employees to take breaks and use their vacation time.

For more on the causes, warning signs and ways to combat work-related stress, view the guide on stress in the workplace from Helpguide . They include advice for employers to alleviate some of the common causes of stress their employees face:

• Clarify expectations
• Consult your employees
• Offer rewards and incentives

And, here are seven steps to help manage stress at work from the APA. Recommend these strategies for your employees, or follow them yourself if you feel stressed during the workday.

People think that stress is a natural by-product of work. You can’t have one without the other. But that doesn’t have to be the case. With these tips, you can prevent the negative health impacts of work stress.

When we think about work injuries, it’s natural to focus on the physical impact to the employee. But an employee’s mental and emotional health can also suffer due to life changes surrounding the injury.

Employees who are off work due to their injuries may feel worthless or lonely. They may be unable to do activities they used to enjoy such as sports or playing with kids. They may not be able to do their usual household work, causing family relationships to suffer.

As an employer, you can play an important role in helping an injured worker maintain their mental health. Read on to learn how.

Show care and concern

One basic and important thing employers can do for injured workers is to show care and concern for their health and well-being. This can come in the form of sending notes, text messages, emails, or even flowers to let them know you’re concerned about their health and wish them a full and speedy recovery. If they’re off work due to their injury, check in often so they know they are not forgotten and that you’re looking forward to having them back. Look for opportunities to help them maintain their social connections with coworkers. Injured workers may be nervous that they will be replaced, and won’t have a job to return to, so it helps to reassure them that this is not the case.

Point to support resources

Sometimes the mental health challenges workers are facing may require the help of a trained professional.

Knowing this, you can make your employees aware of any resources your company offers, such as a wellness program, health insurance benefits or an employee assistance program (EAP).

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) calls employee assistance programs one of the most effective ways to support employees with depression or other mental health problems. Employee assistance programs also offer managers’ assistance lines, which leaders and supervisors can access for guidance when one of their employees is experiencing difficulties.

Support return-to-work

Bringing employees back to work as soon as their doctor will allow it demonstrates your commitment to them and their recovery. It helps alleviate worries about losing their job and gives them a way to feel productive and connected.

This may require providing light-duty work to accommodate medical restrictions. Be sure that supervisors are aware the returning employee will have limitations, so they are welcoming and understanding toward the worker.

Emphasize positive relationships with employees

At all times, regardless of whether an employee is injured, provide a work environment where employees feel valued by their supervisors and the company. Place an emphasis on positive work relationships.

In the event of an injury, the employee will be less likely to worry, and more motivated to return to work.

In the rush of covering for an injured employee, it can be easy to lose sight of the employee’s needs. But taking even a little time to reach out and offer support can make a big difference in your employee’s mental health and recovery.

We all know the saying “an apple a day keeps the doctor away.”

Just as eating fruits and vegetables can play an important role in physical health, research suggests there may be a similarly simple way to improve mental health – having a hobby.

At a time when managers and employees alike may be struggling with their mental health, hobbies can provide a fun way to beat the blues.

The science behind hobbies as mood-boosters

Hobbies can make us feel happier and more relaxed, and studies have shown that people who participate in hobbies suffer less from low moods, depression, and stress. Whether you enjoy athletics, creative endeavors, or academic hobbies, the result is the same if you find the activity meaningful and enjoyable.

That’s because hobbies trigger the brain’s natural reward system, according to The Conversation . If you treat yourself to a hobby you enjoy, it sets off your brain’s pleasure sensors, releasing chemicals that make you feel happy or content. In turn, these chemicals can increase your motivation to continue.

The hobbies you choose can provide you additional benefits. Physical activities can improve brain function and increase physical fitness, both of which have been linked to better moods and stress relief. Hobbies that require coordination or dexterity will tune up your motor skills. Examples include knitting, drawing, playing video games, and woodworking. You may improve memory by learning a language, taking up tai chi, doing a crossword puzzle, and reading, just to name a few.

Where to begin in the search for a hobby

If you don’t have a hobby in mind already, don’t worry. Exploring your options can be fun. Here are some ideas for hobbies you can take up to maintain good mental health:

• Attend a photography class at your local technical college or just go out and take pictures of things you like. Experiment with photography techniques and different angles of a single subject. Use the time to observe things around you and try to see objects or people from new perspectives.
• Attempt a new recipe in the kitchen, attend a cooking class, or teach yourself to bake. The obvious benefit is that these hobbies result in something tasty (which triggers your brain to release feel-good chemicals making you feel happy), but they also require your focus on the recipe which can take your mind off the negative. Cooking can be a stress reliever and the joy of accomplishing what you started, or providing for family and friends, can build self-esteem.
• Start hiking and explore state and county parks near you. This form of exercise also gives you a dose of nature which can be both mood-boosting and calming. If you solo hike, you can use the time to practice mindfulness while taking in the sights around you.
• Take lessons to learn a musical instrument. Playing a musical instrument can relieve stress for many people and is an outlet for creativity or emotions. Plus, experts say setting a goal to learn an instrument and achieving it can help boost your confidence.
• Try gardening or growing indoor potted plants. This hobby is optimistic by nature because only time and care will help plants grow, and it can come with a sense of pride from working with your hands and succeeding in what you try.
• Join a community recreational league like softball, basketball, badminton, or pickleball. You’ll reap the benefits of physical exercise and social interaction with others. There’s a bonus if you laugh and chat with your teammates because both can be good for your mental health.
• Sign up for dance lessons or go to Zumba classes. You can express yourself in a different way through dance, get a fun workout in, and you might even meet new friends at class. Listening to upbeat music is also an effective way to lift your mood.

Trying new hobbies keeps your mind active and healthy, and these are just a handful of suggestions to get you started. Ask your coworkers what they do for fun, and you’ll probably hear some other great ideas.

On average, employees will spend a third of their lives at work, so it’s safe to say their jobs have a huge impact on their quality of life. That means it’s important to ensure their time is spent in an organization where they can have healthy relationships with their colleagues. Those positive relationships are good for employees and good for your organization.

3 aspects of good employee relationships

Communication, teamwork and trust are the three hallmarks of good employee relationships.

1. Open communication is the first step toward a positive working relationship. It occurs when all individuals can express ideas to one another, or have a debate, in a constructive way.
2. Individuals looking to build strong working relationships should perform well in a team setting. They do their fair share of the work and give praise when others do well.
3. Feeling like you can rely on your coworkers, and in turn are trusted by them, is an important part of building a workplace relationship. Trust is reciprocal, so having confidence in a coworker first is a great step toward gaining their trust in return.

Employees who identify as having good relationships with their coworkers tend to be more committed, productive, and satisfied at work.

How to encourage workplace relationship building

An employee’s sense of belonging to their team, department, and the company arises from good interpersonal working relationships. How can you help foster good working relationships among employees? Here are a few suggestions:

• Help them establish relationships from day one
  There’s no better time than the on-boarding process to help new employees establish good working relationships. Arrange for new employees to meet with individuals throughout the company to learn more about the organization, and consider having them job shadow with others in similar roles.
• Make time in your workday to have small talk and encourage occasional chatter among your direct reports. If you’re working remotely, take advantage of technology to make that happen.
  Whether interactions take place in-person, over the phone, or in a virtual meeting platform, they have the same impact – social connections build trust and friendships, both of which contribute to great working relationships.
• Include fun activities in team meetings or schedule regular team outings.
  Earmarking space for coworkers to relax and enjoy each other’s company is good for relationship building. The activity doesn’t have to take up much time, but the addition of non-work-related fun can have a positive effect on a group. Trivia, Word Scrambler, 3 truths and a lie, Scattergories and Charades are just a few ideas for games to help conversation flow among coworkers.
• Schedule company-wide events that bring departments together to intermingle.
  Giving employees the opportunity to interact with coworkers from different departments helps establish company-wide relationships and promotes collaboration.
• Support the creation of committees that plan special events or groups related to certain interests.
  Not only will the members of the committee bond while spending time together planning, but their efforts can bring individuals with similar interests together for an activity. Some ideas for committees or groups include: a community involvement or volunteer committee, a company outing committee to help plan company-wide events, a book or reading club, or a sports club, like running, walking, pickleball, basketball, etc.

These are just a few ways to strengthen relationships among employees.

Whether through in-person or virtual means, most everyone can benefit from cultivating good relationships with their coworkers.

The coronavirus pandemic has affected the workplace in many ways, including a shift to virtual meetings.

People are also using video calls outside of work to keep up with friends and family.

Video call fatigue

A recent study by global staffing firm Robert Half indicates that workers may be suffering from video call fatigue.

Among the 1,000 people surveyed, 76% said they participate in virtual meetings and that they spend about one-third of their workday in front of a camera. That time really adds up, as more people observe that not having in-person meetings allows individuals to fill their schedule with more meetings each day.

As a result, 38% of respondents said they have experienced video call fatigue since the beginning of the pandemic. Those surveyed said their main video call pet peeves include dealing with technical issues and having too many meeting participants with people talking over one another.

SFM Chief Information Officer Chad Hagedorn oversees everything technical at the SFM offices. The Information Services department that he manages has worked tirelessly since the beginning of quarantine to provide employees with the equipment they need to work from home. That has included webcams and headsets so employees can video call.

“People may get used to video conferencing in the long term, so the frustration may go down,” Hagedorn said. “But in the meantime, individuals can take some steps to make the whole experience better.”

Hagedorn shared these best practices for virtual meetings:

• Test your setup ahead of each meeting. This usually takes a minute or two, but can save you from missing a meeting or joining late if you have to do a little unanticipated troubleshooting.
• Use the same equipment each time you join a virtual meeting. Having a familiarity with your computer, camera, microphone and the virtual meeting application makes the process go smoother. The same goes for mobile devices and tablets.
• Request to have virtual meeting applications installed onto your work computer. The desktop versions of these applications, such as Zoom, GoToMeeting and WebEx, usually include more features than the web-based connections. If possible, have your IT department install them onto your company-provided computer.
• Limit the guest list. Keep the meeting group as small as possible to allow for better communication among participants and to reduce the opportunity for people to talk over each other. Requesting that participants raise their hand when they want to talk can also help improve the quality of communication during a video call.
• Find a quiet location before you start up your camera and microphone. Noises in the background are unnecessary distractions during meetings. If you can’t control your environment, it’s a good idea to keep your microphone on mute until you need to talk.

Create boundaries and a routine

Individuals working from home may find themselves clocking more hours than ever in front of a computer screen, simply because there are fewer reasons to get up and move away from their desk.

Hagedorn suggested the following tips to help you organize some breaks for yourself and optimize your workspace:

• Switch your monitors to the “night light” setting to reduce the blue light emitted by the screens. Macs and PCs both offer this option under display settings.
• Set up your desk to be ergonomically correct, so you prevent injury from hours of sitting and working with repetitive motion.
• Stand up and stretch every hour, and go for walks during your breaks.
• Set your office hours within your work email calendar and stick to them.
• Block off a few periods during a busy day so you have time outside of meetings to work on other things, or take breaks and stretch.
• Establish boundaries between work and home. Close your office door when you’re done for the day, or turn off your monitors and silence your work phone if your home office is in your living area.

“That 30 minute drive home was the separation period people needed to mentally wind down after work,” Hagedorn said. “We forget how important it was to take that time and observe the physical separation from the office and the break from screens.”

Read our blog on ergonomic safety tips when working from home to learn more about how to set up your home office so it is safe and comfortable.