Gympass’s Work-Life Balance Report Shows ‘We’re in a Crisis of Wellbeing’
There seems to be an imbalance between work and life, according to a recent study conducted by corporate wellness platform Gympass. The company’s report titled “The State of Work-Life Wellness” dives into workplace wellness, particularly in how employees view their wellbeing at work, and the importance of a healthy work environment for both employee and employer.
The topic of work-life balance has become quite the buzzworthy one within the present decade. The notion of it was certainly tested within the past several years due to the onset of the COVID-19 global health pandemic. With working parents pivoting from office work to at-home Zoom life while navigating a schedule not so routine, the current landscape sits at a crossroads. How do we balance work and life now with kids back in the classroom and offices inviting employees back to cubicles with sane minds and healthy bodies? Even more so, how do we balance work and life in a year partially signified by “The Great Resignation,” where both “quiet quitting” and “loud quitting” dominate business and culture headlines?
According to a recent study conducted by Gympass, titled “The State of Work-Life Wellness,” it’s become clear there’s hardly any balance at all when it comes to our work lives in alignment with our home lives. In fact, the study shows we as a society are in a “crisis of wellbeing.” “The way we’re approaching work isn’t working,” states Gympass CEO and Founder Cesar Carvalho. Carvalho believes employers have a responsibility to “confront this crisis head-on” using a variety of solutions such as fitness, healthy eating or mental health. With one-third of our lives spent working, Carvalho claims it’s the duty of employers to ensure employees are not only encouraged to live healthy lives, but that the former should make active plans to provide resources for the latter to do so. “We, as leaders, all want our employees to thrive, both at work and in their personal lives. But we first must listen to our people to make that vision possible, so let’s hear what they have to say,” adds Carvalho.
Gympass’s own research uncovered 48 percent of employees who said their wellbeing declined in 2022, with over 25 percent of Americans being despondent over their job roles and 48 percent of Americans unsatisfied with the lack of care for their wellbeing at work.
With the concept of work-life wellness viewed through body, mind, and life, Gympass’s work-life balance report involves 9,000 employees, who were asked about their own practices and thoughts on workplace wellbeing. The results of Gympass’s study were staggeringly clear — a healthy workplace bodes for healthy employees and vice-versa.
83 percent of those surveyed said their wellbeing is just as important as their salary, and 85 percent were found to be more likely to stay at their jobs if their employers were dedicated to a focus on wellbeing. In addition, 77 percent said they would consider leaving a company that didn’t focus on their wellbeing at all.
Unfortunately, the study shows that while employees are well aware of the importance of wellness in the workplace, they are at odds with their own wellbeing at work. In the United States, 46 percent of Americans rated their wellbeing as “okay, poor, or struggling.” That percentage was higher, at 56 percent, in the United Kingdom, using the same markers. In Brazil, 20 percent of respondents claimed their wellbeing as “okay, poor, or struggling.” On a global scale, 36 percent of respondents do not think their employer is committed to their wellbeing.
Gympass’s “The State of Work-Life Wellness” shows an apparent disconnect between employer and employee where workplace health is concerned. But, this can change for the better, if employers decide to prioritize the wellbeing of their employees. The work-life balance report by Gympass states, “Employers who humanize their workplace and create a culture where employees feel taken care of both in and out of the workplace will wind up with employees who feel fulfilled and secure.” Corporate wellness platforms like Gympass who are finding ways to combat employee burnout and dissatisfaction by offering wellness programs will most likely encounter high employee retention numbers and, in general, a robust workplace environment.
The study declares in conclusion, “The answer lies in creating a culture of wellbeing, where employees feel not only supported, but incentivized to take breaks, recharge, and prioritize movement. This is creating a corporate culture of care. This, to us, is the epitome of work-life wellness.” The “State of Work-Life Wellness” report is a step in the direction of proving healthy work-life balance is a viable way to altogether improve daily life.
“There’s an altruistic element to supporting our employees in this way, but it also has a positive impact on our bottom lines when employees are happier, healthier, and more engaged,” Carvalho stresses. “That’s what the ‘State of Work-Life Wellness’ report aims to help employers navigate, and we hope other companies will join us in prioritizing the wellbeing of our employees together.”
