Creating a cycle of enrichment in work and life

Employees today have changing expectations of the relationship between life and work. In the past, these spheres were kept separate from one another. Today, workers see work and life on a continuum where one constantly enriches the other in a reinforcing loop. Our research shows that when a workplace implements benefits that foster this fusion of work and life, more than three-fourths of employees feel more productive and engaged on the job.

How can a workplace unlock this cycle of enrichment? By providing benefits that encourage stability, flexibility, and personal growth.

Employers can offer employees the stability they need to thrive through benefits that help cope with major life events. Eighty-seven percent of employees feel that workplace benefits like life insurance and long term disability insurance provide a pathway to mental wellbeing, removing anxieties that stand in the way of the cycle of work-life enrichment. In fact, a growing reason employees take a job is due to benefits that create stability outside of work, such as retirement, dental and auto insurance.

This sense of stability is so important that sixty percent of employees are seeking an even wider array of non-medical benefits from their employer at their own expense.

Beyond stability, flexibility is one of the most sought after benefits, particularly when it comes to remote work. When employees are free to tend to their needs outside of work through benefits such as remote working,

71 percent report feeling a greater sense of trust from their employer. Further, nearly three-quarters of employees who work remotely one day per week report a more familial relationship with their coworkers

By deepening feelings of trust and familiarity between employer, employee and team members, companies can help further the cycle of enrichment between work and life.

On and off the job, workers want to feel that they are progressing toward their goals. However, employers remain more confident that they are providing the skills and commitment their employees’ desire than workers do. One vital area of opportunity for work life enrichment is training that applies to both professional and personal growth. And with “soft skills” ranked as the highest priority for development among employees and employers, it is easy to see how investing in training can help add momentum to the cycle of work life enrichment.  

Unlocking the full potential of today’s employees means providing benefits that meet worker’s evolved expectations of work and life. Organizations that commit to practices that allow employees to thrive on and off the job will not only attract workers but retain them — while engendering high levels of satisfaction and productivity.