Why Wellness Works! Improve employee engagement and wellbeing. Build a better workplace.

Dawniell A. Zavala, Esq. General Counsel, Mental Health America of Northern California Wellness Works! Program Coordinator, Consultant, and Trainer Wellness Works! seeks to reduce mental health stigma and promote mental wellness in the workplace First management-focused training program of its kind in California Modeled on Mental Health Works, the award-winning workplace education program with over a decade of proven success throughout Canada Developed by Mental Health America of California in partnership with Mental Health America of Northern California, the Canadian Mental Health Association, and the Partnership for Workplace Mental Health Wellness Works! helps organizations boost employee engagement and wellbeing by improving communication and relationships within the workplace

By a show of hands … How many of you have: ◦Ever managed an employee who was clearly struggling at work? ◦Ever given an employee a bad review? ◦Ever disciplined an employee? ◦Ever terminated an employee? ◦Ever initiated a difficult conversation with an employee about a sensitive topic? ◦Ever avoided or put off a difficult conversation with an employee because you didn’t know how or where to begin? How many of you think managers could use some help finding positive solutions to tough workplace problems rather than avoiding them?

By the numbers … $11 billion ◦Lost by U.S. employers annually due to employee turnover 1 $350 billion ◦Productivity lost by U.S. employers annually due to actively disengaged workers 2 $576 billion ◦Lost by U.S. employers annually due to poor employee health 3 $1 trillion ◦Estimated total annual cost to U.S. economy from employee injury, illness, turnover, active disengagement, and other negative workplace factors 4

What’s engagement got to do with it? Just 29% of all U.S. employees are engaged at work; they are passionate about their jobs and committed to success ◦52% are not engaged; they are only partially productive and not fully committed to their jobs or employers ◦19% are actively disengaged; they act out their unhappiness at work, undermining their employer and coworkers in the process 1 Employee engagement is positively correlated with employee wellbeing, productivity, overall physical and psychological health, and with company profitability Thus, engagement = $$$

What drives employee engagement? Not gender Not ethnicity Not work status (full/part time) Not income 1 The number one influence on employee engagement is the relationship between the employee and his or her immediate supervisor 2

What employees are saying 24% say their bosses are over-stressed, poor communicators, and lack empathy 1 24% would fire their boss if given a chance 2 50% who don’t feel valued at work plan to look for a new job 3 65% would take a new boss over a pay raise 4 75% say their boss is the worst and most stressful part of their job 5 85% say their boss cares more about what they do than what they are feeling 6 Just 33% say their boss demonstrates self- awareness 7

Perception is reality Whether or not employees’ perceptions are accurate, the problems are real Regardless of the cause, poor employee/manager relationships hurt your business Employees who have good relationships with their bosses are happier, healthier, more engaged, more productive, and more committed to organizational success

Bad management hurts your business Employees are less engaged and productive 1 ◦30% slow performance or make intentional errors ◦27% purposefully hide from their boss ◦33% admit not putting in maximum effort at work ◦29% take sick time when not ill ◦29% take more or longer breaks Employees are 30% more likely to develop coronary heart disease 2 Employees are at an increased risk of anxiety and depression 3 It takes 22 months for an employee to fully recover from stress and anxiety caused by a bad relationship with a boss 4 Replacing an employee costs between 20% - 200% (or more!) of the employee’s annual salary 5

Good management helps your business Caring managers and positive workplace environments … Create engaged employees … Who are more committed, dedicated, and motivated to contribute to your organization’s success … Which increases customer engagement and benefits your public image … Thereby increasing your sales and profit … Which can raise your company’s stock price, overall value, and reputation in the marketplace 1

How? Good managers increase employee engagement 1 When employees are engaged at work, problems solve themselves. Engaged employees: ◦Have 41% - 62% lower health-related costs 2 ◦Have higher productivity 3 ◦Have fewer illnesses and 27% fewer unexcused absences 4 ◦Have 35% lower turnover 5 ◦Have fewer workplace safety incidents and job- related accidents 6 ◦Have fewer quality defects 7 ◦Are 21% more likely to participate in a workplace wellness program 8 ◦Are more likely to recommend your products and services 9 ◦Are more emotionally connected to customers 10

Engagement = wellbeing Engagement and wellbeing share a strong positive correlation Engagement and wellbeing influence one another Workplace conditions impact both employee engagement and wellbeing Engagement drives employee productivity ($ generator) Wellbeing drives employee health ($ saver)

What works and what doesn’t? Too often, managers focus on fixing the symptoms of disengagement and low wellbeing rather than addressing the causes Employees want to work for managers who truly care about them as individuals and are invested in their personal and workplace success 1 If employees’ emotional needs are met at work, they become engaged with their companies, their productivity, profitability, retention rates, and safety rates increase, and they experience greater overall physical and psychological wellbeing 2

You have control As leaders and managers, YOU set the tone and can create a workplace culture that promotes engagement 1 Every interaction between a manager and an employee is an opportunity to boost engagement, and in turn, wellbeing With proper training, managers can help employees thrive at work ◦Wellness Works! offers a variety of specialized workshops that teach managers how to improve relationships with and between the employees they supervise ◦We provide individualized guidance and clear, evidence-based strategies to create lasting positive change in the workplace

More about Wellness Works! Funded by a grant from the Mental Health Services Act (Prop 63) and administered by the California Mental Health Services Authority (CalMHSA), Wellness Works! is the first workplace education program in California designed to help managers: ◦Positively impact employee mental wellness ◦Remove barriers to employee engagement and wellbeing ◦Reduce disengagement, absences, leaves, and turnover related to employee mental health conditions and disability ◦Tackle difficult workplace problems with confidence and optimism

What is this going to cost? NOTHING Wellness Works! is currently a pilot program funded by a statewide grant Through this grant, Wellness Works! Hubs can provide a limited number of organizations free management trainings, which include individualized coaching and support for attendees The pilot program will expire soon, so contact your local Wellness Works! Hub to reserve your free trainings

Want more information? Contact your local Wellness Works! Hub: Mental Health America of Northern California Dawniell A. Zavala, Esq. (916)