By Dr. Donna Raziano
Workplaces are always busy, but the end of the year can bring a perfect storm of professional and personal stressors. In addition to meeting year-end deadlines, many employees are juggling holiday responsibilities, stretching budgets, making travel plans, and struggling to find enough time and energy to manage it all. This can affect workplace morale and productivity.
Your employees are your greatest asset, and you play an important role in helping them maintain their well-being.
Small changes, big difference
There are lots of ways you can reduce your employees’ stress during the end of the year. Supporting work-life balance is key, and these small changes can make a big difference:
- Be flexible. Schools often schedule holiday parties or performances at the end of the year. If employees need to leave work early to attend these events for young family members, give them the time to do so.
- Encourage employees to take vacation days. Employees who take time to recharge and spend time with loved ones are typically more positive and productive.
- Organize a volunteer event. Not everyone celebrates holidays, so consider an end-of-year team event that benefits others. Working at a food bank, helping beautify a public space, or organizing a winter clothing drive can create connections between employees and their community.
- Keep meetings to a minimum. Everyone feels overcommitted at the end of the year. If it doesn’t have to be a meeting, make it an email. If it has to be a meeting, don’t make it at the end of a workday.
- Reduce employee travel. Between worrying about the weather, dealing with travel delays, and being away from loved ones, nonessential travel is a big stressor. Schedule virtual meetings whenever possible.
- Know the holidays. There are lots of holidays during the last few weeks of the year. Ask employees which days they plan to take off. Avoid scheduling deliverables on days when people are out of the office or immediately upon their return from vacation.
- Communicate with your team. Once you know when employees will be on vacation, share the plan for coverage in advance so in-office employees know how their workload or responsibilities may change.
Prioritizing whole-body health
It’s also important to remind employees to take advantage of their health plan benefits. AmeriHealth Administrators offers integrated resources that focus on the physical, emotional, and mental health of our members, including:
- Preventive care. Illnesses like flu, pneumonia, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) tend to spike in the winter. Encourage your employees to schedule a wellness visit with their primary care provider (PCP) to receive any seasonal vaccines that might be appropriate.
- Personalized support. We offer resources and condition-specific support tailored to each employee, along with reward programs to incentivize members to maintain healthy habits.
- Behavioral health care. Our in-person and virtual support solutions can quickly connect your employees with individualized mental health resources that meet their needs.
Services and solutions to support employee health
AmeriHealth Administrators is one of the largest national third-party administrators providing innovative, value-based solutions to administer and enhance health benefits programs and outsourcing services for self-funded health plans and other organizations. From locally focused health insurance plan administration to national-scale programs, we’re known for innovative solutions, deep expertise, and personalized collaborative care.
For more information, visit amerihealthtpa.com or contact your account representative.