With the U.S labor market on a steady recovery path adding 428,000 jobs in April and an unemployment rate held steady at 3.6%, it is important to recognize the toll a bounce-back of this magnitude can take on your employees.
In 2020 and 2021, teams learned to adjust, adapt, and stretch the boundaries of work and home. Shifting employee needs and expectations from employers. Although the labor market may be on an upward trajectory, the state of workers mental health is declining, showing the unmistakable impact on employees.
In September 2021, along with companies like Nike and LinkedIn, Addison Group executives saw firsthand the impact on employees as the world crawled its way back open. Taking action to protect against worker burnout with an org-wide closure of all corporate operations for five consecutive days. The purpose was simple, remove the excuse to connect and ensure that every employee had time to relax, recharge, and unplug with zero guilt or hesitation. Although many organizations offer employee wellness days, company-wide closures have shown more effective for workers to truly disconnect.
The closure spurred several Addison Group internal initiatives, from wellness programs to the creation of S.W.S (Support Without Stigma) employee resource group, an internal employee-run organization focused on destigmatizing mental health and mental illness in the workplace through education, peer support, and internal resources.
In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, Addison Group’s CEO, Tom Moran, announced a new program this week focused once again on employee mental wellness.
“The most critical part to a successful business is knowing what matters most, the people. In conjunction with Addison Group’s ERG Support Without Stigma and Mental Health Awareness Month, I am proud to announce our newest wellness program centered on the mental wellbeing of our employees called People-First Summer.”
Tom Moran, CEO, Addison Group
The program consists of Recharge Days, appointed org-wide company closures extending three-day weekends to four consecutive days with no distractions or feeling of accountability to connect (May 26, 2022, through May 30, 2022, and again September 2, 2022, through September 5, 2022), and video optional, remote Fridays. Addressing the growing concerns of zoom fatigue as nearly half of US employees (49%) expressed experiencing virtual meeting fatigue, and eight out of 10 Americans “agree” or “strongly agree” there should be one day a week with no meetings.
“Our team has been resilient, leading to one of our best years to date, but I would be remised not to see the long-lasting impacts of the pandemic. There is no simple fix, and as the labor market demand increases, our employees are under constant pressure to deliver. As leaders we need to look internally at our teams, take a pulse of our organization, and determine the best course of action. There is no easy button; it’s about the people, each individual, and how you, as the leader of your organization, can make a difference and allow them to take a break, put down their computer or phone, turn off their video and relax.”
Tom Moran, CEO, Addison Group
As a people-first organization, the number one focus is the wellness of our employees. All Addison Group brands (Addison Group, AIM Consulting, ArcLight Consulting, Beacon Resources, Bridgepoint Consulting, CVPartners, DLC, Mondo, and Kranz Consulting) will be closed across all corporate operations for four consecutive days for employees to recharge starting May 27, 2022, through May 30, 2022, and again on September 2, 2022, through September 5, 2022.
