We’ve all heard the term “think global, act local,” which urges people to think about the health of the planet while taking action to protect the environment in their own cities and communities. The same maxim applies to a well-being program.

Organizations who see the best results from a global well-being program tailor offerings to employees that reflect the local culture and practices. You might call it a “glocal” well-being approach, which is characterized by both global and local considerations.

How can you employ this “glocal” approach in your organization? Here are some things to think about:

Understand the difference in how well-being programs are viewed.

In the U.S., because most citizens receive healthcare through their employers, there is a financial incentive to improve population health outcomes through well-being programs. Overseas, where healthcare is largely provided by the government, well-being programs are seen more as a means to enhance worker productivity, engagement, and talent attraction. Wellness challenges and activities that drive a culture of health and enhance community may therefore be more important than individual health metrics.

Look for a vendor who offers segmentation and personalization capabilities.

Segmentation allows you to customize a well-being program so you’re offering employees in other countries only the programs that are most locally relevant. This is perhaps the most important feature to ensure the success of a “glocal” well-being program. The ability to personalize a well-being program is also important, allowing participants to shape their experience based on unique preferences, interests and health goals.

Consider a single global vendor who can address all your needs.

Once you go global with your well-being strategy, you’ll want things to be as simple and streamlined as possible. A single well-being provider can make administration easier, saving valuable time and resources. A single vendor also ensures equity of offerings and a consistent employee experience across your population.

Gain support from local leadership.

Leadership buy-in is critical for any well-being program. When leaders support well-being initiatives the organization sees greater engagement with the program and better results. Demonstrate to leaders how the well-being program will benefit their population, citing things like improved engagement and retention, better productivity and a greater sense of community.

Enlist the support and input of local well-being champions.

Identify employees in each country or region who are passionate about well-being and convene them to discuss what local employees want and need in a well-being program. Later, call on these individuals to help you with implementation, communication and drumming up enthusiasm for the program. Finally, solicit feedback from them often to find out which local initiatives are working and which aren’t.

Employ cultural sensitivity and awareness.

A “glocal” well-being program must understand and respect the cultural norms, values, and beliefs of diverse populations and how they influence discussions about health. For example, in some Asian cultures , people may avoid seeking mental health help for fear of bringing shame on their families, while in Europe people are much more open to talking about mental well-being. You’ll want to be sensitive to things like religious fasting periods or key holidays, taking care not to plan wellness challenges or launch new initiatives during this time.

Localize language and communication tactics.

English is the official language of business, but when it comes to well-being it’s best to communicate in the local language. You may be tempted to rely on machine translation for this task, but human translators are important when dealing with clinical or health information that requires more nuance. Likewise, tap into relevant communication vehicles and employ a look and feel that is authentic and appropriate for the country or region.

Tailor incentives.

Incentives are an excellent tactic for encouraging initial participation in a well-being program as well as sustaining that participation. However, if your incentives are geared around U.S.-centric rewards (like health care premium reductions), you’ll need to spend time customizing them for a global population. Well-being champions can be a good resource for understanding what incentives will resonate.

Do your research on local policies and regulations.

Some countries may have certain rules that prohibit employers from addressing various health and well-being needs. Work with your HR department to ensure well-being program offerings don’t run afoul of local laws and regulations.

Developing a well-being program that motivates employees across the globe to make positive changes to their health takes a little extra effort and research. But, those extra steps to ensure that the program is relevant and meaningful to employees at the local level will pay off.  If you’d like help expanding well-being program access to your global populations, contact us at connect@webmd.net.

We tend to think of “community” as the place where we live. But workplaces are a type of community, too. The degree to which employees feel valued, connected, and fulfilled in that community has important implications for both the organizational culture and the business’s health. Before we get into how to build a sense of community at work, we’ll explore why community matters in the workplace and discuss the benefits of nurturing a sense of community.

Why Community in the Workplace Matters

Human beings are, by nature, social creatures. And we rely on interactions with others to fulfill our need for connection and belonging. Considering we spend almost a third of our lives on the job, it makes good sense for organizations to focus on community as one way to improve workplace culture and enhance the well-being of the workforce.

Community is especially important these days as employees re-evaluate what’s important in life and exercise choice in the kinds of organizations they want to work for. As we’re seeing with the Great Resignation—or Great Reshuffle—employees will leave their jobs if they don’t feel the culture supports their values or fulfills their basic need for meaning and connection.

And lest you think that building community in the workplace is just a “nice to have,” a report by Microsoft argues that rebuilding social capital and culture as we adjust to a hybrid world is a business imperative. Dr. Nancy Baym, a researcher at Microsoft, maintains that “cultivating a culture of kindness, fun, and cooperative collaboration is just as important to the bottom line as your daily to-do list.”

So with that as a backdrop, let’s take a deeper look at why community is important in the workplace.

Community provides a sense of belonging.

According to the Society for Human Resources, belonging is the “feeling of security and support when there is a sense of acceptance, inclusion, and identity for a member of a certain group or place.”¹ It’s a basic human requirement and appears right in the middle of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Today, belonging is fundamental as we seek to diversify our workplaces and ensure that they are inclusive for everyone.

It turns out that belonging at work is also good for the bottom line. According to a study by Deloitte Consulting, feeling like you belong can lead to a 56% increase in job performance, a 50% reduction in turnover risk, and a 75% decrease in sick days. It’s hard to argue with that!

Community gives us a feeling of purpose.

Employees are increasingly questioning their “why.” They want to connect work to something that feels meaningful, whether it’s their personal values, the company’s mission, or charitable work in the broader community. This is especially important to younger generations, who desire to be a part of something bigger than themselves. Research by Gallup finds that while their compensation is important and must be fair, millennials are motivated more by mission and purpose than by a paycheck.

The sheer nature of helping our colleagues in a mutually supportive community can also give us that sense of purpose. The Academy of Management Journal noted that workplace connections are not only crucial for career advancement and emotional support, but also fulfill a very human desire to serve and give back to others.

Community can help increase psychological safety—and vice versa.

Psychological safety is the shared belief held by team members that others will not embarrass, reject, or punish anyone for speaking up with ideas, questions, concerns, or mistakes. It’s a big buzzword these days, but psychological safety isn’t something you achieve overnight. Instead, a psychologically safe environment is often a by-product of a workplace that already has a strong sense of community where workers have each other’s backs. So, in other words, it works both ways—you must have a good community to feel psychologically safe, and you must practice psychological safety to have a healthy community!

Community combats loneliness.

Loneliness in America has been on the rise since the 1980s, and the workplace is partly to blame. U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy noted in a Washington Post article, “Our social connections are in fact largely influenced by the institutions and settings where we spend the majority of our time. That includes the workplace.”²

A sense of community in the workplace can help ward off loneliness. A study by Cigna found that people who don’t have good connections at work are ten times lonelier than people who report having good relationships with their coworkers. And when organizations actively seek to build community, thereby decreasing loneliness, there are other benefits to the business, like greater retention and lower healthcare costs.

Now that we’ve covered why building community at work is important, let’s dive into some tangible examples of how to build community at work.

How To Create a Sense of Community in the Workplace

There are many examples of community in the workplace that create and maintain meaningful connections between coworkers. What’s important is to be authentic and intentional, and provide a variety of ways to connect—as not all employees will be able to engage in the same way. For example, parents and caregivers may be unintentionally excluded if activities happen after the workday. Community-building activities also need to offer options for both in-office and remote workers.

And if you’re not sure what employees want, just ask! Conduct a few focus groups or send out a quick pulse survey to gauge employee opinion on what’s important to them. Also, simply creating an event will not create community. All levels of leadership need to participate and be visible in the activities and events that you establish. Having a robust number of events with zero leadership involvement can do more harm than good, as employees will wonder if it is okay to participate in the event. They may wonder why leadership does not participate in the cultural community aspects of the organization, creating an unintentional divide amongst the employees.

If you are unsure where to begin, here are some ideas to get you started:

Volunteer together.

Pick a cause that’s close to your organization’s mission, a local charity, or even an employee’s passion project. Get employees excited about participating with lots of communication beforehand and a t-shirt to wear during the event. Can’t get together in person? There are many virtual volunteer opportunities to check out.

Institute a “5-minute catch-up” rule.

It’s tempting to launch right into a meeting agenda, but to create community, we need to devote a least a few minutes to honor the fact that we are humans first and employees second. Encourage employees to intentionally connect with others—ask people how they are or what they did over the weekend, talk about your pets, discuss hobbies, whatever energizes them!

Make sure the physical workspace offers places to connect.

Employee expectations about what workspaces should look like are changing. Microsoft predicts “organizations will require a mix of collaboration, meeting, and focus space, in addition to spaces that encourage informal social interactions.” People want to come to a place that creates the feeling of community they can’t get working from home. Otherwise, they’ll opt to stay remote. If in-person work is important to your company, it’s something to consider.

Use storytelling.

People are culturally and biologically predisposed to love stories. Storytelling at work can help people empathize with one another and feel connected, especially during times of change. During the height of the pandemic, we witnessed how powerful stories could be in bringing us together. So, whether you solicit employee testimonials or ask leaders to weave stories into their communication, don’t overlook the power of this tool to create community.

Support Employee Resource Groups (ERGs).

ERGs provide a safe place to connect and share with like-minded coworkers. ERGs work best when they have the autonomy to create and maintain their own groups without feeling too much oversight from leadership or HR. I’ve come across some popular community-building resource groups like networks for diversity and inclusion, women, working parents, interests in sustainability, advocacy, young professionals, book clubs, and more!

Leverage digital tools.

Slack channels or workplace social media interest groups can be a great way to stay connected to other employees and build community. For example, at WebMD Health Services, we recently set up chat channels for employees working from the same state to talk about local goings-on and plan a meetup if they wanted to.

We also rolled out a new social media tool for clients in WebMD ONE called Community, which connects employees based on their well-being interests and goals—like exercise, nutrition, sleep, and social connectedness. Once in a group, participants post questions, share stories, and provide encouragement.

Host fun after-hours events.

Whether it’s a happy hour, twilight hike, or potluck picnic in a park, scheduling events after work hours helps coworkers get to know one another more deeply. If your company also works weekends, consider scheduling some events on weekends, too, when those with caregiving responsibilities may have more flexibility.

Establish mentor or peer-coaching programs.

Mentorship has been associated with increased satisfaction at work and greater feelings of acceptance within the organization, and naturally creates a different type of bond between employees. Mentorship also provides much-needed support to underrepresented groups in leadership like women and people of color, thereby helping create a more diverse and inclusive community.

Pay attention to your onboarding experience.

Welcome new employees into the community with intentional activities designed to create connection. Schedule coffee chats or lunch with a different team member each day during their first week or send a personal note from a senior leader welcoming them to the organization. The goal is to make the new employee feel like they’ve joined a caring community.

Create rituals.

If you don’t already have them, it’s smart to create a few rituals that employees can look forward to. This could be anything from celebrating work anniversaries or birthdays to hosting healthy Taco Tuesdays, movie/TV show reviews Mondays, or First Friday pizza. At WebMD Health Services, we have biweekly virtual Water Cooler Chats where anyone can join to take a break, talk about non-work-related topics, and meet new people.

Provide regular recognition.

Praising people formally or informally gives them a sense of accomplishment, makes employees feel valued for their work, and is a great motivator. Both manager-to-direct-report and peer-to-peer recognition can positively impact a sense of community. There are many ways to recognize employees—from formal recognition platforms to simple handwritten notes. The important thing is to make it a regular part of the culture.

Celebrate organizational wins.

Whether it’s onboarding a new client or having an outstanding quarter, celebrate these accomplishments. It could be as simple as toasting a win with a morning cup of coffee or a more elaborate celebration with champagne or cake.

Build cross-connections.

Too often, we only really get to know the people in our direct department. But “weak ties” are also essential to nurture community. Some organizations set up random meetings between coworkers who don’t typically work together. At WebMD Health Services, we recently launched a peer coaching program, where people are assigned a partner from a different department and discuss their goals for professional growth.

Communicate often.

Organizations that maintain regular communication with employees tend to have stronger communities. Our experience with the pandemic is a good example—companies who regularly communicated and were transparent with employees built trust and loyalty versus those who kept employees in the dark. Leadership communication is vital. Leaders can create community by regularly sharing the organization’s mission and how employees’ work ties into it.

Sponsor an athletic team.

Sports aren’t for everyone, but company-sponsored teams are still a good way to create community as they encourage those cross-connections between employees of different departments. Those who aren’t playing can even come out to cheer the team on!

Host a workplace wellness challenge.

Workplace wellness challenges encourage people to stay active and rally the community around a common goal. Clients find that wellness challenges, like our Invitational Team Steps Challenge, strengthen corporate culture by motivating people to get outside, get social, and engage in a little healthy competition. Check out these other wellness challenge ideas for inspiration!

Involve the family.

We’ve had great success both with our clients and internally by involving kids and pets in our programming. We hold yoga classes, family cooking demonstrations, art and photography contests, cutest pet awards, and more. It’s a fun way to connect on a more personal level.

Start your journey to building a sense of community at work with WebMD Health Services

WebMD Health Services is on a mission to help companies truly care for their employees while also impacting business results. If you need help learning how to build a sense of community in your workplace, visit our website or contact us at connect@webmd.net.

Stress relating to personal finances isn’t new. But with rising inflation, we’re hearing more and more about the need to help employees with financial wellness.

Traditionally, helping employees manage their personal finances wasn’t considered an employer’s responsibility. But when you consider how the effects of financial stress can spill over into the workplace—in the form of distraction, reduced productivity, and the effect on physical and mental health—it’s easy to understand why supporting employees in managing their finances makes good business sense.

What is financial wellness?

According to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, financial wellness means:

• Having control over day-to-day and month-to-month finances;
• Being able to absorb a financial shock;
• Being on track to meet financial goals; and
• Having the financial freedom to make the choices that allow one to enjoy life.

Why is financial wellness in the workplace important?

Employees now expect financial wellness benefits.

According to PwC, the vast majority of employees now want help with their finances. They see employers as a trusted, objective source for receiving reliable financial information, unlike banks or plan sponsors who may just be interested in generating revenue. In particular, employees want help with investing, financial education and access to a financial professional.¹

It’s critical to note that help with financial wellness is very important to younger generations, who now make up the bulk of the workforce. A TIAA Financial Wellness Survey found that 65% of Gen Zers and 61% of millennials believe it is a company’s responsibility to help employees improve and maintain their financial wellness. As with mental health resources, the availability of financial wellness programs is now a differentiator for employers.

Employees who feel secure in their finances are more likely to be more engaged.

When employees are experiencing financial stress, engagement and morale can suffer. A MetLife survey found that employees who felt good about their financial health were happier (84% vs. 55%) and more engaged (78% vs. 53%).² There’s also the cost of turnover. If employees are stressed about their financial situation and don’t feel their employer is supportive, they’re more likely to leave. The PwC study found that just 54% of financially stressed employees felt there was a promising future for them at their employer, and they were twice as likely to be looking for a new job.

But there’s also a diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) aspect to financial wellness benefits. Today, most large employers have a DEI strategy or program in place to increase inclusion in the workplace. Offering financial wellness benefits to employees is yet another way to foster a more equitable experience. How? These benefits help to “level the playing field for all employee populations by empowering underrepresented groups, who are more likely to experience financial stress, to gain financial confidence and improve financial well-being for generations to come.”³ And, employees who feel more secure in their finances are likely to be more engaged and energized at work, and more likely to be positive ambassadors for future diverse recruits.

Attitudes around retirement are shifting.

Today’s Baby Boomers approach retirement fluidly—they are working well into their late 60s and 70s; perhaps scaling back work, but not exiting completely, or trying out a second career. Others have not saved enough to retire, so don’t plan to do so anytime soon. Nevertheless, members of this generation continue to look to employers to help them achieve greater financial wellness.

We all need to become more comfortable discussing financial health.

We’ve made great progress around normalizing the discussion of mental health in the workplace and I believe financial health will be next. Because financial wellness is so important to productivity and engagement on the job, it does fall to leaders and managers to “engage employees in conversations about financial issues in a healthy, supportive and inquisitive manner.”⁴ This will enable employers to point employees to the specific resources that can support them.

How to include financial wellness in your well-being program.

If your well-being program doesn’t include financial wellness, now is the time to consider adding it. Well-being is about so much more than eating healthy and getting regular exercise. It’s about waking up with a positive attitude, going to sleep knowing you’re financially secure and doing everything you can to keep stress at a minimum.

By incorporating comprehensive financial services into your workplace well-being program, you can improve organizational productivity, boost your profit margins and help your employees stop stressing about their finances so they can get back to what matters most — taking care of their health. While implementing a financial wellness program can come with challenges, it can certainly be achieved. To help you get started, I’ve listed the top five principles that guided us as we designed our financial wellness plan here at WebMD.

Consider every employee’s needs.

Your workforce includes people from many different backgrounds, life stages and financial needs. For example, some people may prioritize paying off student loans or saving for their first home, whereas others want to budget for a growing family, or plan for retirement. It’s important to consider all the perspectives of your population before designing your financial wellness programs. That way, you can build a comprehensive solution that includes tools and resources that everyone can benefit from.

Utilize the resources you have.

If you have a corporate well-being program, chances are it features some aspects of financial wellness. For example, our WebMD participants have access to financial wellness resources through our partner, iGrad Enrich. Your Employee Assistance Program also may include financial wellness tools and education. Your 401(k) administrator will also have resources you can tap into. There are plenty of workplace services available that can help your employees save money, reduce their monthly costs and prevent unnecessary financial stress.

Expand your offerings.

Once you determine what your employees need and what you already have, fill in the gaps by partnering with an external financial wellness provider or using widely available online resources. To truly make a difference in your employee’s financial health, you must do more than simply offer a budgeting tool, financial advising or short-term payday loans. You need to provide them with access to all of those things, plus financial literacy training, credit score monitoring, student loan programs, identity theft prevention classes and more.

Clearly communicate benefits.

It’s important to tie financial wellness into your well-being messaging. To help ensure that employees take advantage of any new offerings, make sure to have a regular cadence of communication throughout the year. Consider holding special events to tie into Financial Literacy Month or a themed event like sticking to a budget during the holidays. We hang posters around the office to create awareness, send emails to initiate engagement and even send postcards to communicate our program benefits to employees when they’re at home.

Pay attention to the numbers.

Surprisingly, a whopping 70 percent of employers with financial wellness programs don’t have formal measurements to assess their value.⁵ But, by tracking the success of your program, you can take advantage of a valuable opportunity. You will be able to assess the significance of your program, identify where improvements can be made, harness data to offer personalized options and so much more.

What makes a good workplace financial wellness program?

At a minimum, a good financial wellness program helps employees increase their financial knowledge and ability to manage personal and family finances. The most important goal is to help employees reduce the stress associated with financial uncertainty.

Some of the more common components of a financial wellness program include:

Financial education.

Teaching financial fundamentals can help alleviate some stress and empower your employees to set some financial goals for themselves. For example, how to set up and stick to a budget, how to create a long-term savings plan, concepts like interest rates and the time value of money—these are all valuable topics that a financial wellness program teaches. You can even bring in an expert to deliver talks during lunch & learns or webinars.

Retirement planning.

For those who are close to retirement, you should consider offering classes on retirement financial planning, retiree healthcare, and how to navigate retirement distributions when the time comes. For those planning for retirement, focus on spreading awareness about your 401(k) and any employer match programs you offer. People may be interested in learning more about setting up health savings accounts that set aside money for retiree healthcare, creating a retirement plan, and learning how much they should try to save before retiring. Consider inviting a professional from your 401(k) program to host a seminar to share information.

Debt counseling.

This could include assistance with consolidating debt, establishing a plan to pay it down, and education on interest rates and budgeting to help employees avoid future debt. It also helps employees cope with the stigma and stress of being in debt. This type of support is best done one-on-one with a financial counselor.

Financial counseling and coaching.

Financial counseling sessions may be more appropriate for employees who are experiencing an immediate financial crisis. Financial coaching helps employees set goals for the future and improve their current financial situation.⁶ Sessions can be in-person, over the phone, or via video.

Support for savings.

Aside from 401(k) plan retirement saving, employers can sponsor savings or investment plans and have contributions taken directly from paychecks. Not only does this make it convenient to participate, but it also gives employees the peace of mind that they’re placing their money with a reputable institution.

Short-term loans and accrued wage advances.

These help employees access credit or cash in an emergency—whether through a low-interest short-term loan or an advance on their pay. Both can then be repaid through payroll deductions spaced out over time.

Student loan debt assistance.

Paying back student loans can be frustrating. There is a lot of unfamiliar terminology, and when you have a problem, it’s hard to know whom to contact—the lender, the loan servicer, or the guarantor? So, simply providing organizational tools that pull in and consolidate all student loan data in one place can be a huge relief for your employees. You may also want to make loan consolidation services available so employees can investigate lowering their monthly payments.

Incentivize financial wellness.

Once you begin offering some aspects of a financial wellness program, consider adding them to your incentive strategy. For example, many of our clients reward their employees for attending a financial wellness lunch & learn or reading educational resources from their financial wellness partner. Incentivizing your new offerings will encourage employees to use and reap the benefits of them.

Improve financial wellness in the workplace with WebMD Health Services.

Financial stress is an enormous concern for today’s employees, and increasingly something employees want their employer to help with. Providing support for financial wellness can not only lead to gains in productivity and help stave off physical and mental health concerns down the road, it can also lead to a more inclusive and equitable workplace and a more productive, engaged workforce. Need help strategizing ways to include financial wellness in your well-being program? Contact us at connect@webmd.net.

In a perfect world, the excitement and enthusiasm generated by the launch of a well-being program would last forever. But, the reality is business priorities shift, leaders come and go, and workplace needs change, including what employees need to stay healthy and happy. The truth is, like people, well-being programs, can benefit from a check-up every now and then.

To help you with your workplace well-being check, we’ve put together a list of some common areas to evaluate:

1. Leadership. Getting buy-in for a workplace health program is essential, and while most organizations do a good job of enlisting leadership support prior to launching a program, enthusiasm can wane. And without support from HR leaders, executives, and other decision-makers, even the most robust well-being program can only go so far.

What you can do:

• Share metrics, data, and key performance indicators that measure how the program is impacting health care costs, employee engagement, retention and overall well-being.
• Solicit employee testimonials to demonstrate how the well-being program is making a real impact.
• Ask management to share their thoughts on what should be included in the well-being program.
• Consider tapping a new executive to serve as well-being program champion to benefit from fresh ideas and a new approach.

2. Employee engagement. You may have gotten great participation at launch, especially if you offered a reward for completing the Health Assessment. But to get maximum engagement, it might be time to rethink your reward strategy and how you’re marketing the well-being program.

What you can do:

• Reward engagement with multiple aspects of the program, beyond the Health Assessment.
• Vary incentives every so often to align them with different dimensions of well-being (physical, emotional, mental, social and clinical).
• Match rewards to the culture of the organization.
• Communicate more than you think you should to keep the program top-of-mind. Use multiple communication tools, including digital, print, and in-person.

3. Well-being program relevance and inclusivity. Well-being is personal, and the best way to engage employees in changing health behaviors is to make it relevant to them as individuals. But organizations are complex and it’s not always easy to reach everyone in a meaningful way, especially if you have multiple locations, recent mergers/acquisitions, or widely varying job roles and employee populations.

What you can do:

• Segment your population based on health condition, geography, or job function and consider targeting communications to these groups.
• Pay attention to the inclusivity of your well-being program offerings to ensure that it offers something for everyone—regardless of health status, geographic location, religion, gender, abilities, sexual orientation, economic circumstances and racial or ethnic background.
• Ensure your well-being communications reflect diverse imagery and messages that are relatable and understandable.

4. A culture of well-being. You know that the degree to which the organization values and supports its employees’ holistic well-being is a big factor in creating a strong company culture. It’s why you decided to partner with a well-being provider in the first place. But even though all the well-being offerings are in place, there still isn’t a tangible sense of a well-being culture in the organization.

What you can do:

• Make the link between the values, vision and mission of the organization and the well-being program.
• Treat well-being as a business issue that directly impacts the bottom line.
• Survey employees to understand what they really want out of a well-being program.
• Bring people together in the pursuit of well-being through wellness challenges.
• Take stock of the signals that the workplace sends around well-being. Examples include healthy food offerings, permission to engage in physical activity during the day, and the degree to which mental health is discussed and prioritized.

Ready to get a handle on what might be ailing your organization’s well-being program? Check out our workplace wellness assessment to help you evaluate workplace well-being, or contact us at connect@webmd.net.

Both WebMD and Limeade share core values rooted in empowering individuals to make educated health and well-being decisions that lead to lasting behavior change. Together, we will re-energize the market delivering the most comprehensive, holistic well-being solution. The end result? Organizations with a true culture of well-being that inspires a happier, healthier, and more engaged population.

Here’s how we’ll do that:

Better Together by Making Listening an Essential Part of Well-Being

Our clients will now have the ability to gain actionable insights by listening and responding to workforce needs in real time through science-based surveys, polls and quizzes. This will allow us to elevate program adoption and participation, empowering organizations to meet their unique well-being needs and support their business goals.

Better Together with Even More Meaningful Human Connections

The human aspect to well-being is core to our business and a unique differentiator. Together, WebMD and Limeade will offer enhanced technologies that allow us to communicate and create meaningful connections with participants through WebMD Health Coaching, Dedicated Well-Being Services, and Wellness Champions.

Better Together to Drive Ongoing Engagement in Well-Being

Increasing participant engagement in their well-being is essential to ongoing improvements in health outcomes. The integration efforts will bring in key features that uniquely educate, remind, and motivate individuals throughout their well-being journey. We’ll also be able to garner consistent employee feedback to personalize the experience, resulting in higher levels of true engagement.

Better Together with Enhanced Communication Services

We will continue to employ a strategic communication approach to be able to offer the right programs to the right people at the right time for maximum exposure and engagement. Our award-winning, customized communication campaigns will be a key element of our integration strategy.

Better Together with a Client-Focused, Collaborative Team

WebMD and Limeade both believe it’s essential for our clients to see us as a partner, not just another vendor. Combining our workforces means that clients will benefit from an even more tenured team that takes time to understand the intricacies of their environment to ensure that well-being is grounded in trust. This leads to a self-supporting community that encourages lasting, positive change for their people and the organization.

Better Together with New Ways to Make Well-Being Even More Personal

Well-being is personal, and our acquisition of Limeade enhances our ability to take personalization to the next level. WebMD’s unique segmentation capabilities, combined with new technology enhancements like artificial intelligence and gamification, will now allow us to deliver an even more personalized experience for participants, increasing engagement and driving outcomes over time.

Better Together with a Trusted Brand

The WebMD name is instantly recognizable and one that consumers already know and trust. It’s an important reason why companies choose WebMD Health Services as their partner. With Limeade, we build on this trust with our combined decades of research and best practices, as well as insights and listening around the employee experience to continue to empower well-being in everyone.

Our combined organization will become one of the largest well-being providers in the market, with over 700 global employees supporting thousands of organizations. I am truly excited about our future ability to impact clients’ well-being culture by listening and responding to their workforce in real time. Our better together approach sets us on a clear path to drive engagement, reduce risk, and support the evolution of a culture of well-being for all of our clients.

The World Health Organization defines burnout as “a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed,” and identifies three classic symptoms:

• Feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion;
• Increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one’s job; and
• Reduced professional efficacy (a measure of confidence in and ability to complete work tasks).

Gallup found that while these symptoms of burnout have lessened for individual contributors over the past couple of years, burnout remains high among middle managers. So what is going on?

A recent Harvard Business Review article sums up the unique issue of manager burnout well: “Managers have had to guide their employees through a pandemic and its aftermath, facing situations that have required them to lead with empathy while managing escalating demands with potentially fewer resources—all while receiving little recognition for their efforts.”¹

The Nature of the Manager Role Has Changed

While there are likely many factors contributing to the escalation in manager burnout, two new developments stand out:

The skills required to be a manager are different now.

Managers have always been saddled with a dual responsibility—getting their own work done while also making sure that their direct reports know what’s expected of them, and have the right training and skills to achieve their goals. But now, in the wake of the pandemic, a social justice reckoning, global unrest, the Great Resignation/Reshuffle and more, managers are being additionally called upon to lead with empathy; to be able to have conversations about mental health with employees; and to help team members feel more connected and valued in the workplace. It’s a tall task.

Hybrid work arrangements have made the job of a manager more difficult.

Finding the balance between in-person and remote work is taking a toll on managers. Many leaders want employees to come back to the office, while most employees prefer to work remotely at least part of the time. Managers are stuck in the middle of this tug-of-war. As Gallup states, “They are the translators and the scapegoats.”²

Hybrid work has also made the sheer act of managing more challenging. It’s not easy to coordinate the activities of employees who are on different schedules and might be working from numerous locations. For some managers, it’s also harder to monitor output and track employee progress. A Microsoft study found that 85% of leaders say the shift to hybrid work has made it challenging to have confidence that employees are being productive.

Gallup also claims that managers can no longer rely on their peer manager networks for real-time help, advice and support—which not only makes their jobs harder, but also less enjoyable.³

Manager Burnout Is a Significant Retention Risk

Microsoft studied the degree to which the classic symptoms of burnout influenced a manager’s decision to leave the company. They found that managers experiencing:

• Exhaustion are nearly two times more likely to leave compared to managers not experiencing it;
• Cynicism are three times as likely to leave;
• A lack of professional efficacy are three times more likely to leave the company; and
• All three symptoms are five times more likely to leave compared to a manager experiencing none.

So clearly manager burnout is a significant retention issue, and not just for the manager population. It stands to reason that employees who report to burned out managers may also decide to leave the company if they feel they are not being adequately managed and supported.

How to Mitigate Manager Burnout

Here are several ideas for how organizations can focus on providing the support and care managers need to cope with burnout:

Don’t neglect managers’ own growth and development.

Middle managers often spend so much time ensuring their team members have goals and a career path that they can feel a little stuck themselves. This may lead to feelings of disengagement and frustration. It’s crucial to discuss managers’ goals regularly to ensure they feel heard. Then, work together to articulate a career path that will help them feel fulfilled in their work. This may include new projects or a different scope of work that can inject new energy and life into their role to increase feelings of professional efficacy.

Focus on well-being and self-care.

It goes without saying that giving managers the tools to focus on all the dimensions of their well-being is key, including physical health, mental health, clinical management, financial wellness and social connections. Many well-being programs, including WebMD’s, have specific solutions to address these needs. Managers also need to feel they have permission to tend to their own care as well as that of their team.

Ensure managers feel connected to the purpose and mission of the organization.

All employees increasingly want to be able to connect what they do each day to the overall mission of the company. This is even more true for managers who must, in turn, impart this sense of purpose to employees. Senior leaders must therefore clearly define goals, milestones and success metrics for managers.

Provide more training in soft skills, like empathy.

While being empathetic comes naturally to some managers, it’s not true for all. After all, many managers were promoted to lead teams based on their own job success, not necessarily because they are inherently good people managers. The good news is that empathy is a skill that can be taught, including how to be a better listener, how to put oneself in someone else’s shoes, and how to be more present in interactions with employees.

Support managers in having emotional conversations with employees.

The pandemic broke down many of the barriers between work and life, which is a great thing, but it also means that managers are now more regularly discussing emotional and mental health concerns with employees. Help make this new part of their role easier by providing training, toolkits, job aids, and talking points.

Create a psychologically safe environment for managers, too.

A psychologically safe workplace isn’t just essential for line employees. Managers also need to feel they can speak up about burnout without the fear of being embarrassed, rejected, or humiliated. Manager Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) can provide a forum for this type of sharing and support. Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) can also help.

Recognize and reward managers’ efforts.

Like other employees, managers want to feel their efforts are seen and valued. A quick note from a senior leader, a mention on the company’s recognition platform, or even a small token like a spot reward or additional time off can make a manager feel valued and combat symptoms of burnout.

Give managers permission to truly take time off.

Burnout results from a number of factors, including unrealistic expectations, an overly demanding workload, and lack of support—so simply taking time off isn’t a cure-all. It does give managers the time and space to recharge, though, but only if their time away is respected. Urge managers to set good boundaries around time off so that they can return to work feeling more refreshed.

Be flexible.

Flexibility is one of the most important tools we have as leaders to help our managers with stress and burnout. Whether that means working non-standard hours, compressing a workweek, taking a personal or mental health day, or leaving early to pick up a child or attend an event, it’s important to give managers the authority to do what they need to do to make their life work.

Managers have always been the “sandwich generation” of the workforce—balancing the demands of leadership with the needs of their own team. But recent developments have made their roles more complex and demanding, resulting in managers feeling overworked and burned out. It’s critical for organizations to recognize the signs of burnout as a manager and take steps to help combat it with a focus on well-being, flexibility, and additional training. If you’d like help supporting your managers, contact us at connect@webmd.net.

We anticipate the transaction will close within the next quarter, pending regulatory and shareholder approval, and we will have more details to share at that time. For additional information on this exciting announcement, please read the press release.

Limeade’s solutions include Limeade Well-Being, an immersive employee well-being platform; and Limeade Listening (formerly TINYpulse), tools and insights to build an employee engagement strategy. Together, the combined organization will re-energize the market delivering the most comprehensive, holistic well-being solution and services that help organizations build a culture of well-being that inspires a happier, healthier, and more engaged population.

What does this mean for WebMD Health Services and Limeade clients?

WebMD and Limeade share a belief that the employee and client experience is critical to our collective success. We are dedicated to making sure that the experience for employees and for clients is as seamless and transparent as possible. We continue to remain committed to delivering holistic well-being solutions that feature the most innovative and personal well-being products and services backed by a clinically driven approach to behavior change to empower everyone in their well-being.

We will continue to provide the high level of service we have always been committed to, and we will continue to focus on improving client satisfaction.

What are the benefits of bringing WebMD Health Services and Limeade together?

WebMD and Limeade share similar core values rooted in empowering individuals to make educated health and well-being decisions. WebMD and Limeade are pioneers in developing well-being programs that deliver behavior change. Each entity brings strengths to the table, creating the industry’s only solution that brings a high-tech, high-touch personal experience to ensure we are reaching everyone no matter where they are in their well-being journey.

With more than 700 employees in the United States, Canada, Europe, Vietnam, and Australia, and an average tenure of over seven years, we are equipped to meet the needs of large multi-national and mid-market Employers, Public Sector organizations, and Health Plans and Health Systems.

Bringing our two purpose-driven organizations together is a strategic fit that will enable us to leverage our cultural synergies to deliver even bigger and better value to our clients and the market.

A lot to look forward to.

Together, WebMD and Limeade have over 40 years of combined experience driving positive health behavior changes for employees and members. The new entity is poised to deliver innovative, integrated solutions that leverage our competencies, scale, and overall stability to deliver even greater value to all our customers.

We remain committed to delivering a holistic well-being solution that combines the most innovative and personal well-being products and services backed by a clinically driven approach to behavior change. There will be more updates to come. Stay up-to-date on this exciting journey by subscribing to our blog below and following us on LinkedIn.

We’ve all heard the old adage that people don’t leave bad jobs, they leave bad bosses.

While the recent trends of “quiet quitting” and the “Great Resignation” were in part prompted by a pandemic-influenced reevaluation of work and life, it’s no secret that managers play a major role in whether employees choose to stay with a company or leave.

And, considering we spend up to a third of our lives at work, it makes sense that a good portion of our worry and stress originates from our jobs. This is backed up by a global study from the Workforce Institute at UKG, which found:

• 60% of employees say their job is the biggest factor influencing their mental health;
• 81% of employees would prioritize good mental health over a high-paying job; and
• 64% admit they would take a pay cut for a job that better supports their mental wellness.²

The good news is that we seem to be entering a new era of the manager/employee relationship.

In the past, employees were encouraged to maintain walls between work life and home life, and managers were trained not to pry into employees’ personal lives, lest they cross some legal boundary. Not so anymore. Our experience with the pandemic taught us that we can never truly compartmentalize our lives, nor should we. Now, the best companies and managers realize that leading with caring and empathy and supporting employee well-being, including mental health, is essential for keeping their best people.

But what kinds of manager behaviors tend to cause stress and negatively impact employee mental health?

Micromanaging and, at the opposite end of the spectrum, not setting clear expectations for work, tend to be big ones. Not providing enough recognition can also cause employees to become demoralized and disengaged. Of course, the expectation to work long hours or constantly be available—whether stated or implied—contributes to exhaustion and eventually burnout.

Finally, while the corporate world has made much progress on this front, there are still managers who create hostile work environments through subtle and not-so-subtle harassment, microaggressions and even gaslighting. This can severely impact employees’ mental health.

So in addition to modifying some of the above behaviors, how can we support managers in creating a less stressful work environment?

Teach empathy.

While being empathetic comes naturally to some managers, it’s not true for all. After all, many managers were promoted to lead teams based on their own job success, not necessarily because they are inherently good people managers. In today’s stressful world, it’s important to train managers to demonstrate more caring, concern and understanding of the feelings and circumstances of their employees.

Give managers the tools and training to have conversations about mental health.

Managers are often the first to recognize that something just isn’t right with an employee, so make sure they have tools like:

• Tip sheets for how to talk about mental health in the workplace and how to recognize when people are struggling.
• A one-pager on the mental health benefits available at the company, or a card they can hand out with the phone number of the Employee Assistance Program.
• Scripts for starting meetings with a “mental health minute,” or at least encouragement to begin meetings with a quick “how are you?” check-in.

Encourage them to practice psychological safety on their teams.

A psychologically safe workplace is one where people feel they can be themselves and won’t be embarrassed, rejected, or humiliated for speaking up; this kind of environment can decrease stress on teams. Leaders and managers can create psychological safety by showing their own vulnerability, practicing benefit of the doubt, and encouraging open dialogue.

Role-model healthy behaviors.

Urge senior leaders and managers to set a good example by actively (and outwardly) focusing on health. Doing so gives employees “permission” to devote time to their own health, and sends the signal that well-being is an integral part of the corporate culture, not just a nice-to-have. Actions can include:

• Asking leaders to block time on their calendars for fitness or meditation.
• Encouraging managers to be open about taking time off to care for themselves—physically and mentally—or others in their life who need care.
• Reminding managers to be mindful of sending emails after hours or on weekends.

Acknowledge employees’ lives outside of work.

As we mentioned earlier, there are fewer boundaries between work and life than ever before. So continue to encourage managers to acknowledge and be curious about employees’ lives beyond the work day, including inquiring about family, personal passions, or even pets. Employee Resource Groups can be a great forum for this type of sharing, too.

As we approach May’s Mental Health Awareness Month, let’s all keep in mind just how much our jobs influence how we think, act and feel long after we end the workday. Managers certainly don’t need to be mental health counselors, but it’s important for them to be aware of the messages they send and actions they take (or don’t take) that have a bearing on the mental health of their employees. For more ideas on how you can support your managers, click here.

WebMD Health Services is making news! In the past couple of months we’ve been featured in key publications like USA Today and HR Tech Outlook, and recognized by Women Leaders of Healthcare, Mogul, and ICMI. Missed the articles? Catch up here and learn more about what WebMD Health Services is doing to empower well-being in everyone.

USA TODAY: The Keys to Establishing a Corporate Culture of Caring

In September, we were honored to be a part of USA Today’s Employee Well-Being Campaign. Christine Muldoon, our Senior Vice President of Marketing and Strategy, participated in a panel discussion alongside a number of industry experts.

Here’s what Christine had to say about:

The linkage between corporate culture and employee well-being…

“Our philosophy is that your well-being program must be an extension of your culture. As it evolves, so too, should your well-being program. There are many factors that influence workplace culture and create a culture of well-being:

• Empathy and compassion: this is an essential skill for understanding the needs of others.
• Leading by example: encourage leadership and managers to role-model healthy behaviors and boundaries. When leadership is actively engaged in well-being, engagement is higher.
• Promoting a culture of well-being: a wellness champion network can be your boots on the ground, effectively communicating your program and providing valuable encouragement and support.
• Embracing a culture of authenticity and openness for employees to feel a sense of belonging and to feel safe to bring their whole selves to work.”

What employers can do to prevent burnout and increase retention…

“Employee stress is on the rise, and today’s workforce is expecting more support. The great news is employers are taking steps to strengthen their company culture, build a greater sense of belonging, and foster meaningful connections in the form of team-based activities, group coaching, and dedicated wellness champions to help rebuild a sense of community. Employers are evolving company policies and benefits to support employees’ personal needs by giving them more flexibility in when, where, and how they work. This added support provides more opportunity for work-life balance and personal well-being. Employers are also focusing on training managers to be empathetic leaders, to better interact with employees, and to recognize signs of burnout before it results in turnover.”

How to empower employees in a hybrid work model…

 “HR leaders are testing new ways to bring the human element back to work even as early as onboarding. Check out social media and you will see new employees showcasing welcome gifts they received from their new employer. Some — like WebMD — have implemented peer coaching for social learning and development to create peer connections. Others have reimagined everything from live work events to virtual water cooler chats, Slack channels, and Zoom-based happy hours. Wellness challenges are another strategy to bring your hybrid workforce together in a healthy, fun, and competitive activity.

We’re all going to have to test different solutions before we find what works best for empowering our own employees, whether they’re working from home, in-person, or finding some combination of the two.”

Read more here.

HR TECH OUTLOOK: WebMD Health Services: Happier Employees through Holistic Well-being

WebMD Health Services was recently featured in HR Tech Outlook. In the article we shared how employee well-being programs have evolved from focusing on a few aspects of employee health – like weight management, nutrition, stress – to more holistic offerings that address mental and emotional well-being and social connections. Here are the highlights:

How we’re adapting the WebMD Health Services platform to address the unique health and well-being challenges brought on by the pandemic…

“It changed the nature of work for a vast number of the population, resulting in an increase in risk prevalence for sleep, stress, emotional health, and depression. Recognizing these needs, [we] launched Community and Group Coaching to connect people with one another. [We] also integrated mental health podcasts and other media on the platform to help people manage their mental health and stress-related challenges. [We] recently launched manager-specific mental health training podcasts…to help managers have candid and supportive conversations with employees about mental health.”

Creating customized wellness plans for the needs of every employee…

“When it comes to wellness, every individual’s well-being journey varies dramatically from another. WebMD [has the] ability to drive deeper connections through segmentation and personalization inside the WebMD ONE platform. [It starts with] a health assessment that paints a comprehensive picture of where that person is positioned compared to others of the same age and demographic level…and highlights health risks [to deliver] content, tools, tips, and support to facilitate that person’s wellness journey.”

How we help clients tailor programs to address employees’ immediate well-being needs…

“An employer launched a pulse survey to determine their employees’ most critical needs during the [pandemic] lockdowns. The answer ‘self-care’ was an overwhelming need. The client then collaborated with WebMD Health Services, formulated a self-care strategy, and dedicated an entire week to helping employees with their self-care challenges.”

Read more here.

WOMEN WE ADMIRE: Top 50 Women Leaders in Healthcare of 2022

Women We Admire recently announced its Top 50 Women Leaders in Healthcare of 2022. And we’re proud to say that our own Christine Muldoon was one of them!

Women We Admire provides news and information on today’s women leaders in business, entertainment, sports, motherhood, medicine, law, and many other fields. Awardees of the Top 50 Women Leaders in Healthcare demonstrate a deep commitment to their field and to significantly changing our communities and the world around us. According to Women We Admire,

“Their work provides hope and healing across various areas including health services, medical devices, biotechnologies, health insurance & coverage, and more. Together, their focus is on improving health care quality and ensuring all individuals get the services they need.”

Congratulations, Christine!

See the full list of Women Leaders in Healthcare here.

MOGUL: Top 100 Leaders in DEIB

Mogul, a diversity recruitment company, named its top 100 leaders in diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging. The list included Andrea Herron, WebMD Health Services’ Head of People, HRBP/Strategic Operations. According to Mogul, “organizations and leaders have listened to their employees and customers to develop progressive initiatives to introduce fair workplace practices. This list celebrates those leaders.”

Congratulations to Andrea on this recognition and for all she does to ensure that WebMD Health Services is a place where our employees can feel comfortable being their authentic selves.

See the full list of top DEIB leaders here.

ICMI: Global Contact Center Awards Program

Once again, our WebMD Health Services contact center is receiving accolades from ICMI, an organization focused on helping contact centers improve the customer experience and increase business results. They recently named their 2022 ICMI Global Contact Center Awards Winners and WebMD Health Services was recognized for:

• Best Contact Center Agent: Gloria Felts
• Best Contact Center Manager: Sarah Koop
• Best Medium Contact Center Runner-Up

The ICMI Global Contact Center Awards Program is the most comprehensive awards program dedicated to the customer management industry. Each year, ICMI recognizes the companies, contact centers and individuals that provide a platform for leadership, vision innovation, and strategic accomplishments.

Kudos to these individuals and our entire call center for their superior service!

See the full list of awardees here.

It’s been over a month and we’re still basking in the proverbial glow of the Empower Forum, our recent Client Forum at the beautiful Skamania Lodge along the Columbia River to discuss all things well-being. Before the fireside chat session, we asked clients to send us their toughest well-being program questions. A great discussion ensued, and we’re pleased to share the highlights in this week’s blog.

You asked: What does a healthy workplace culture look like today?

A healthy workplace culture is so important right now. Recent studies show that nearly 50% of employees would leave their current jobs for a lower-paying opportunity at an organization with a better culture. If we had to name one aspect of workplace culture that is most important, it would have to be flexibility. No matter what your strategy is – return to the office, remain remote, or a hybrid model – letting employees have some say in how, when, and where they work is key to good workplace culture.

Social connections are also important – especially with a dispersed workforce. At WebMD Health Services we have team members working in almost all 50 states, so we try hard to create connections between them. A few things we’ve done are movie nights, virtual workouts with our own health coaches, at-home cooking and cocktail-making demos, March Madness basketball challenges, and National Pet Day virtual pet playdates. We are also hosting a virtual showing of Hocus Pocus 2 leading up to Halloween! At the beginning of the year we invested in a more formal peer-to-peer program that matches up individuals from different areas of the company every quarter to have structured conversations about topics ranging from finding inspiration at work to being a better manager. It’s been an amazing way for our team to meet others they might not normally cross paths with and build real connections.

Leadership also sets the tone for a healthy workplace culture. Leaders are increasingly being called upon to practice empathy and compassion and also to create a culture where people can be seen, heard, and valued for being their authentic selves. They also need to give employees “permission” to focus on their well-being – across multiple dimensions – and walk the talk themselves. Finally, people – especially younger generations – are craving more connection to the meaning of their work. Leaders can help here by reminding people of the company’s mission or purpose and connecting it back to the work people do.

You asked: Well-being programs have evolved quite a bit in the past few years. What new programs, strategies, philosophies, or investments characterize the “new” well-being program?

First, we’d have to say that most organizations now realize that helping employees with well-being is a “must-have” to retain and attract talent, versus a “nice-to-have.” Companies see well-being as an extension of their culture, not just something people do on their own time. Of course, mental health is a critical element of any well-being program, and we are helping clients offer their employees several diverse ways to access that help via chat apps, podcasts, resilience tools, etc.

We also see well-being programs become more personalized – for example, identifying what well-being means to everyone in their organization and tailoring programs to do just that. For example, some of our clients have customized wellness challenges to support what their population needs—be it self-care, social justice, community service, and more. Personalization in this new world also means unique goal-setting for individuals: for one person well-being means eating healthy, but for someone else it’s looking for more opportunities to connect with people after the isolation of COVID.

Well-being programs also have to be accessible to a dispersed workforce now. While in the past we relied on well-being champions in the building to drum up excitement for events, we have to rethink how to reach employees who work remotely. On the flip side, we are seeing renewed interest in having a “human element” as part of the well-being program – such as our onsite Dedicated Well-Being staff. As companies encourage workers to return to the office this human contact with a well-being professional is one way to entice them.

You asked: Point solutions seem to be everywhere these days. Why is a holistic well-being program better than a point solution or a combination of point solutions?

It’s true, every time you turn around there seems to be a new point solution. We get it – employers and health plans want to deliver a comprehensive, personalized, and holistic well-being program to employees and members. But, when there are too many apps to manage employees begin to experience “point solution fatigue.” People start to be overwhelmed by going to multiple places for well-being and some may just abandon them all.

From the organization’s standpoint, there are other risks:

• It can be hard to measure results from multiple standalone solutions;
• You have to juggle relationships with many different vendors, but each point solution only addresses one problem;
• Each solution feels transactional and siloed, versus outcomes-focused;
• There’s no or very little sharing of information, and you bear the burden of trying to bring all these disparate benefits and services together;
• There’s no consistent look and feel across all the solutions; and
• It’s expensive!

That said, we recognize that even a really holistic well-being platform can’t be comprehensive in everything. Financial wellness, caregiving for an aging parent, mental health practitioners – sometimes you do need to go external to get some of those important services to employees. For example, though we currently offer stress coaching specialists – and will soon have mental health coaching specialists –we also recognize that if someone needs very specific help or support, we have to refer them out to a service vendor our clients have (like an EAP) or another offering.

At the end of the day, our philosophy is this: we start with a comprehensive platform that focuses on assessing one’s health, lifestyle and condition management support, engagement, daily habits, challenges, community, and incentives. We then layer on vetted, curated vendors to support more in-depth areas: like help for musculoskeletal conditions and pain management through our partnership with Fern Health and caregiving with Torchlight. We also take care not to add multiple point solution vendors in one category because we vet and ensure we are offering the best. We think this is the best way to offer employees and members what they need while making the experience as seamless and user-friendly as possible.

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That’s a wrap! We hope you’ve enjoyed learning more about the amazing discussions we had at the Empower Forum and look forward to seeing more of you at our next event. In the meantime, to learn how a well-being program can benefit your organization, visit our website or contact us at connect@webmd.net.