Workplace wellbeing? You can’t get there without a map!

Unions’ and management’s joint reporting of workplace well-being metrics is a good idea. Creating a shared understanding of employee experience is akin to agreeing on a destination and a map to get you there. Working towards improved workplace well-being can make a company more competitive and thus protect jobs. Also, producing a shared understanding of the employee experience can reduce conflict by supporting principled rather than positional contract negotiations.

When worker well-being (defined holistically to include physical, mental, financial, and social aspects) suffers, productivity declines and healthcare costs frequently rise. Moreover, people want to work for organizations where workers thrive. Fifty-nine percent of employees would consider working with a company offering a better workplace environment than their current employer. A Randstad study found that 56% of employees aged 18–24 said they would quit a job that prevented them from enjoying their lives; 38% of those 55–67 agreed. Measuring employee well-being is fundamental to improving customer satisfaction and reducing turnover and health-related costs.

Today, managers (and union reps) are prone to tackle workplace issues with a skewed understanding of what is happening. Both are biased by the squeaky wheel effect. Managers and union reps typically understand their employee’s experience through word of mouth. Managers have their “open door” policy. Union reps typically understand their member’s experiences through day-to-day gripes and grievance processes. However, this information is often subjective, influenced by recent workplace events, listener expectations, and personalities. Unfortunately, employees can use the grievance and open-door policy to address interpersonal conflicts or private agendas. Most unions are justifiably suspicious of the ‘open-door’ policy as it can skew management’s understanding of their employee’s experience.

What if unions and management collaborate to develop and publicly disclose metrics on worker well-being? This approach may seem radical, but public reporting is done for environmental, social, and governance (ESG) reporting. As ESG has become a priority among customers, investors, and workers, companies responded by creating and publicly disclosing ESG metrics. These metrics eventually became so crucial that regulators in many geographies, including the United States, the European Union, South Africa, Australia, and China, now mandate their disclosure. The same could happen with employee well-being as public interest grows. Well-being touches every worker and their families; many want something done.

For all these reasons, Unions and Management have much to gain from using agreed-upon metrics that come from a shared understanding of worker well-being.

Understanding workplace wellness is crucial for both employees’ well-being and organizational success. When the Union and Management agree upon a combination of metrics, organizations can comprehensively understand workplace wellness and make informed decisions to support their employees’ health and productivity.