Employee wellness programs globally, have become a staple in many corporations as a way to attract top talent, keep them happy and productive, and decrease employee turnover. More so in Greece, where the financial situation has led to increased pressure while reducing employee benefits overall. But the key to having a successful corporate wellness program is by encouraging overall wellbeing while still keeping it fun. If you can’t get your team engaged then your wellness program ideas will quickly lose steam. So make your initiatives fun, try new ideas and see what your team values the most. Source 1. PROVIDE YOUR EMPLOYEES WITH HEALTHY OFFICE SNACKS Healthy snacks aid in […]
Many of us sit behind our desks and stare at computer screens for far too much of the day. Although concentrated work can be beneficial to our jobs, it can be taxing on our bodies. The following yoga exercises will help you relieve any tension you might feel after too many hours of poring over spreadsheets. The poses also provide long-term benefits with regular practice. Each pose takes fewer than two minutes to complete, and you can do the whole series in just 10 minutes—but I promise you’ll feel the effects long after. Source: Harvard Business Review Breathe deeply throughout the poses because sending oxygen to your muscles allows […]
Stress and anxiety — to some degree — are natural parts of everyday life. Think about it: You get that feeling when a driver cuts you off on your way to work, or when you have a looming deadline, or when you spill coffee on your shirt. Source These stressful moments can range from uncomfortable and annoying (even motivational) to completely debilitating. What’s worse, these negative feelings can build on themselves really quickly until they feel out of control. That’s why it’s crucial to monitor our emotional health whether or not we have a diagnosed disorder. According to experts at the Mayo Clinic, unmanaged stress symptoms “can affect your body, your thoughts and feelings, and your behavior,” […]
Coming back to work is so difficult, in fact, that it can cause something called post vacation blues. It’s not really a term recognized in the medical world, but anyone who’s experienced it knows how real the feeling is. Source Personally, I also struggle with the nostalgia part of post-vacation life. I never want the fun to end, so coming to terms with that difficult reality can cause me to daydream about better days. I often sit at my desk, sadly pining away. Of course many people return from vacation feeling refreshed, and able to bounce back to work with renewed zest and zeal. For the rest of us, the process […]
There is a time in the life of every predicament where it is ripe for resolution. Emotions provide the cue to act when a problem is big enough to see, yet still small enough to solve. By understanding your emotions, you can move adeptly through your current challenges and prevent future ones. Source: Inc. Emotional intelligence (EQ) is the “something” in each of us that is a bit intangible. It affects how we manage behavior, navigate social complexities, and make personal decisions that achieve positive results. Emotional intelligence is your ability to recognize and understand emotions in yourself and others, and your ability to use this awareness to manage your […]
The evidence that Emotional intelligence is a linked to job performance is clear. The problem is that no-one can agree what it is about EI that actually makes the difference to performance, until now. Source: Forbes A recent study published in the Journal of Applied Psychology looked at the results of 36 separate pieces of research into the relationship between self-reported EI and job performance (measured via supervisor ratings), with an overall data set from 2,168 employed adults. Via a sophisticated bit of number crunching, the authors were able to conclude that there is a strong correlation between EI and job performance. More interestingly, they found that there were 7 traits that made all […]
What is Emotional Intelligence? Emotional intelligence refers to a person’s abilities and awareness of personal and interpersonal emotions, communication, and relationships. Source In other words, it’s a social science word applied to how well people do in relationships with others, and how well they understand and manage emotions. It’s a term that was coined in the 1995 book by Daniel Goleman, Emotional Intelligence. The book is regularly updated and remains a popular reference for this kind of work. One source describes the 4 key areas of Emotional Intelligence in this way: Self-awareness Recognizing your own emotional state and the effect your emotions are having on you Self-management Using what you know about your emotional […]
There is a lot to consider when answering this question. And though there may be a lot of reasons to move forward with a program like this, there are also some real things to evaluate to make sure that it’s a good fit for your corporate culture, your budget, and business. Source 4 Reasons a Workplace Massage Program Would Not Be a Good Fit 1. Make sure you have room to grow the massage program. Along the lines of the point listed above, if you have a set budget and the program grows in popularity (which it always does) or your company is in growth mode, you might find that […]
Lately, there’s been some debate about whether workplace health promotion programs, more commonly known as wellness programs, work. To us, it’s similar to asking whether reviews, training programs, employee assistance services, or other company initiatives are effective for both worker performance and the bottom line. The honest answer is that some are successful while others fail. And most of the time this comes down to how they’re designed and executed. Source: Harvard Business Review So how do you create an evidence-based health promotion program that does work? And what can employers do to avoid common pitfalls that lead to ineffective and, in worse case scenarios, harmful initiatives? To tackle these questions, […]
HR is in the midst of a paradigm shift. Smart companies know that in our modern service and information economies, people are actually our most valuable assets. As such, HR has taken on an increasingly front-line, strategic function, and is as important as finance, sales, marketing, or operations. So what does this mean for today’s crop of HR professionals? Source To put it bluntly, your job is harder than ever. Not only are you expected have to have a solid foundation in the traditional areas of HR expertise, but you have a whole new set of skills and responsibilities to master, and a whole host of additional considerations. Now you […]