Christine Muldoon and Erin Seaverson from WebMD Health Services | 2025 Workplace Well-Being Trends

Andrea: [00:00:00] Welcome back, everyone. Today, I have a special treat for you. I’d like to welcome two of my very esteemed colleagues to the show. I have Christine Muldoon, our Senior VP of Marketing and Strategy, and Aaron Severson, who leads our Center for Research. So I wanted to bring these two on the podcast to share information from our most popular webinar we have each year.

It is the annual workplace wellbeing trends webinar, and it is always so full of really high quality data and information and research. So I just knew that we had to share it. So welcome Christine and Erin. Thank you, Andrea. Excited to be here. So lovely to have you. So before we dive into really exploring what you found for this year’s trends, I wanted to start with kind of what inspired the focus areas.

Why are they [00:01:00] relevant? You know, maybe just a little bit of context for people who haven’t had the pleasure of attending the webinar yet.

Christine: Well, I can start with this one, Andrea, and first and foremost, I’m so excited to finally be a guest on the HR Scoop. Um, so I’ll just share some of the details about our annual webinar.

We’ve been doing it for years and every year Aaron and I, we get together and we discuss what we’re hearing from clients. clients, potential clients. We read different articles and we review the research from different organizations like Business Group on Health and other organizations. We also review our own data and research that Erin’s team puts out.

And we also, we listen to the trends. We like to look at what we’re hearing from [00:02:00] our clients in our own client council meetings. Basically, Aaron and I absorb all of this content. We listen to the market. And sometimes our trends are variations from the previous year. So for example, mental health. That’s been on our list, right, Erin, for a couple of years, um, social or meaningful connections and of course AI are a few of the other examples.

And so we have a pretty big list and then we have to sit down, compile our list of trends and the hardest part is trying to narrow it down to a manageable list to really watch for in the coming year that really could have, I would say, an influence. Over organizations, corporate wellbeing strategy, and at the end of the day, we want to help organizations really, and the overall market take action on these [00:03:00] trends.

So if you missed our annual trends webinar, go to our website. You can check out the recording on our website under resources and webinars. Um, you can also if you want a summary version, you can read our most recent blog. And so inspiring this year’s trends list is the idea that many clients I would say have had well being for a while.

So we wanted to share those trends that we believe are really Next generation of trends that support the evolution of their wellbeing strategies. This means that as their programs continue to evolve, as their culture evolves. We believe that their program should evolve with it. So you’ll hear trends that focus on maybe additional elements of well being as well as ways to continue to support and engage employees [00:04:00] in their well being journeys.

So we’re not starting foundational. We’re assuming that you have the foundation in place and now we’re building upon that.

Andrea: I love it. There’s something for everybody, every kind of style that you want to receive the information. And if you’re a big company or a small company or a big team or small team, it sounds like you can apply these, which is really what we like to share on the podcast.

So I’m really glad that we can hopefully give some tactical insights here as well. So, so much. Uh, I also love that we’ve been doing this for years, so it’s not new, it’s not our first rodeo, uh, but from your perspective, how has the concept of workplace well being evolved and what does success look like for those who are investing in it?

Erin: Yeah, I, um, I love this question. I think it’s really, uh, so I kind, I think about this almost as like going on the Taylor Swift eras. Tour, in the sense that the way that the industry has [00:05:00] evolved has gone in phases. We’ve had eras along the way. I have a 13 year old daughter, and so it makes sense, you know.

It makes perfect sense. You know, the, the focus on workplace well being isn’t new, but like I said, it has changed very much so over time. So as I think back on the industry early on, our focus Was on fitness and that has moved into wellness and emphasizing health promotion and management, um, much through the lens of occupational health.

Uh, and safety and physical health fast forward to now, as we’ve had more research to inform our strategy, as we’ve learned more about best practices and focusing in on what our employees need from us, our perspective has expanded to, um, much more a focus on holistic wellbeing. So something centered. On addressing the needs across multiple dimensions of health from mental health, social connectedness, financial well being and [00:06:00] also emphasizing, um, the role of an organization and their culture and how that how important that is in not only enabling success or all of these initiatives, but also making well being the norm.

It’s just the way that work gets done. Um, at the core I think employers more and more are recognizing that their employees really are their greatest asset and it is important that they are investing in them. They can be a competitive advantage in many, many different ways. Um, also recognizing that it, there’s a responsibility that we have.

Um, not only in building that culture where employees feel supported, um, but doing so in a way that will help them help employees really show up to work as their best selves. Uh, when I think about success, I think I could probably talk about this for a really long time, but. I, I think it really comes down [00:07:00] to, um, and there’s a, there’s a lot of research to support this, uh, employees who feel like their organization cares for them, cares for their wellbeing.

They are more productive. They are more present at work. Uh, they are more engaged and they are more likely to stay with their organization. So healthy employees are, um, uh, uh, you know, it’s a win win. That’s how I see it. It’s a win win.

Andrea: Yes, and as an HR professional who’s been around, you know, for a minute or two, this has been one of the greatest progressions that I’ve seen.

I mean, it seems completely obvious, right? Like your employees make or break the business, but organizations haven’t always acted in that way because of various reasons. Um, we’re not throwing any, any shade here, but I think it is very promising that this is the conversation. This is where things are going and we’re able to show the value because when [00:08:00] people.

feel better. They can perform better, which I think is what we all want. So now that we’ve set the stage and given this really great context and lens, I would love to get into it. So will you tell us about, let’s just start with the first trend. We’ll just take them one at a time because I know they’re probably really deep and juicy.

So let us have it. That’s

Erin: a great description. Deep and juicy. Yeah. So speaking of deep and juicy, we will start with employee burnout. So we, um, We had done some research earlier this year at the Center for Research and what we had discovered, uh, and consistent with, um, messaging coming from other, uh, industry reports and other outlets, but from our, our research, a third of employees are experiencing persistent burnout.

And what we also found is that, um, Rates of burnout actually increased by about 25 percent over a pretty short period of time, just [00:09:00] from 2022 to 2024. So, uh, very prevalent and also increasing. And, uh, I call out persistent burnout specifically, so this is not The day to day experiences, the frustrations, the annoyances that we all have to deal with, right?

We all have that stack of work that we know is on a tight timeline. We have to get it out the door. We have a day full of meetings, but that tends to resolve really quickly when we Remove those stressors what we’re talking about with persistent burnout is something that Is the result of long term chronic exposure to workplace stressors and for those who are experiencing it it really?

Seems unending It’s hard to find that light at the end of the tunnel And we wanted to focus on burnout because of the potential reach of impact So again, going back to some of our research, uh, we know that burnout doesn’t exist in isolation. It is highly correlated with other [00:10:00] really big broad factors like employee well being and employee experience at work.

So again, it’s not isolated. The other important call out here that just adds layers of complexity to the issue is that the way that burnout shows up in a population is really different. And so some of the, some of the data that we observed, um, there were some really interesting differences by age cohort.

So generation X individuals age 45 to 59 had the highest. levels of burnout relative to the other age groups that we looked at, we saw differences by work arrangement. So for those who are working in more flexible work arrangements actually reported lower burnout rates relative to those who, for example, work exclusively on site or in person.

And then we saw differences by role as well. Also, senior managers, uh, were more likely to report burnout. Compared to [00:11:00] individual contributors or even senior leaders, and I say all of this only to call out that burnout is not a one size fits all sort of issue, but the consequences of it are really quite serious, and those who are experiencing burnout, um, tend to have higher rates of absenteeism, they are away from work more, Decreased productivity, poor quality of work, and are three times more likely to be looking for a new job.

And so for the employers that are listening to this, you know, really what we’re talking about here is a call to action. You know, this is, this is a really big, important issue and, um, and it’s time to be paying attention.

Andrea: It most certainly is. I know we’ve all heard the word burnout and it has come into the, you know, collective awareness, which is.

The first great step is that we can acknowledge that it is real and detrimental to really all the business goals [00:12:00] that an organization would have, but we don’t always know what to do, I think, after that. So what are the first steps organizations can take to better measure and hopefully address burnout more effectively?

Erin: Yeah. Um, also great question. So, you know, here’s the issue. Now, what do we do about it? Um, so again, just highlighting, highlighting that what we’re talking about here is not, it’s not a simple issue. There is no simple fixes. Um, what I can say is that when we take action, it is going to require commitment and it is going to require patience.

And we want to think about how we can balance our approach so that we’re focusing on. Interventions that are designed to target. Uh, both at an individual level, so thinking programs and resources that support the employee, but then also, uh, broad scale initiatives that address more of the organizational [00:13:00] factors that contribute to the problem.

So. More specifically, um, and I think it’s really important to call out. Um, again, these are things that we think about all the time at the center. Uh, measurement is really important. So starting first with defining that measurement strategy and Then regularly assessing and monitoring over time. So we can really understand how burnout looks within the population, um, understanding the driving forces, why is it happening, all of that information will help to refine and define the strategy, what, what tactics need to be put into place to, to start moving the needle.

Um, at an individual level, uh, communicate, educate. We want to enable employees with information and resources and training. At an organizational level, these are, these are generally factors that are outside of an employee’s control. So this is where the organization has to do the hard work of [00:14:00] turning the lens internal and really think about.

Think about the culture, the organizational practices and policies that are in place. We want to consider how work is designed, look at roles, um, expectations, leadership practices. And then I think what, what exists in a really interesting intersection. Um, at the individual and the organizational level is the opportunity to emphasize employee voice.

So pulling in employee voice, assessing culture, uh, thinking about communities within the organization and that can be done through a holistic listening strategy. So it’s big, big things, but, um, but it, you know, small steps, small steps can make, make big, um, Make big progress.

Andrea: I completely agree. And one thing I always try to tell people is that an unintentional culture is rarely, if [00:15:00] ever a healthy one, you know, it does take intention and focus, or it’s just wild out there and it’s not going to be what you want it to be.

So earlier you mentioned that those. And I’m summarizing, but those in more senior positions tended to have a little higher levels of reported burnout. So the million dollar question is, you know, how can leaders manage their own burnout while still supporting their teams before it snowballs into more burnout on burnout?

Erin: Yeah, that is, that is the million dollar question, right? And I, I think what we, what we saw from our study was really a reflection of Um, all of the pressures that senior managers face, almost like a, we talked about the sandwich generation. They’re sort of the center role in a way, so they’re having to balance.

The high level responsibilities, accountability to executive leadership, they’re managing their teams, they’re working to meet organizational goals, and they’re doing that all while balancing their own workload. [00:16:00] So I think, um, a lot of what we can do goes back to what I had mentioned earlier, where we, we want to think about how we structure the manager role, the manager function, uh, provide training, resources, education.

But again, at more of a, a bigger, broader level, um, role, clarity, job design, workload. It is still about balancing individual and organizational level practices around, um, the role of the manager.

Christine: And Erin, one thing I was thinking about is You know, dependent on the organization, how many organizations might be facing more turnover where they’re not necessarily filling those positions, and then therefore, Senior managers, managers are taking on more of that workload to support their teams and they’re already burnt out and now they’re taking on more and more.

It just gets to a [00:17:00] point where it’s not sustainable. Yeah, that’s, you

Erin: know, again, this goes, everything you said is very true and it’s a, it is a real issue for many individuals, for many organizations. And so I just, I think it’s important for us just to. Elephant in the room. This is not going to be an overnight fix.

A lot of what we’re talking about here is really culture change and Helping individuals understand what they can do what they can control around their health and well being and then also Taking the hard look and doing hard work around supporting the organization and almost balancing the organization’s health and well being so that there’s, there’s better balance across the, the roles and functions, but yeah, this is not easy work by any means.

Andrea: All great points. And that was a juicy one. I had no idea I was right on. [00:18:00] Okay, so let’s move to the second trend. What do you have for number two?

Christine: Okay, so this one’s not juicy, but it’s one that we’ve been talking about a ton. And it’s focusing on expanding benefits and resources to support women’s health needs.

Really at all stages of life. So we’ve now got five generations of women in the workforce. And so there’s a wider range of health care needs that employers really need to consider as they continue to build out or evolve their workplace well being program and benefit strategy. So, there’s a ton in this, and we’ll kind of pick it apart as we go along.

Andrea: Absolutely. What are some of, I guess, the most critical gaps you’re seeing in the workplace benefits regarding these comprehensive women’s health?

Christine: Yeah, so I think one of the things [00:19:00] is it really does depend on. Your organization’s makeup of your employee population. So if you have, um, the generation of women that are Gen Z’s and millennials.

In your workforce, oftentimes those generations of women are looking for benefits related to things like fertility, maternity care, raising a family, and caregiving. If you have more Gen X and baby boomer women, they’re needing benefits for maybe a little bit more later in life, so they’re looking for benefits and support related to, as you might guess.

menopause, other health concerns and preventive care related to those health concerns and caring for, and it could be still, um, children, but older children [00:20:00] as well as aging parents. So we call them like the sandwich generation or more specifically just focusing on aging parents.

Andrea: These are all very relevant topics, you know, hence why this is the top trends information.

So another million dollar question I know our listeners will have with menopause being a growing concern and being discussed more openly and not just amongst small circles of women, but just more broadly, how can organizations create menopause friendly culture and support systems without I don’t know, maybe with the least amount of cringe factor as possible.

Christine: I love that. Well, Andrea, as you know, this was a hot topic menopause, um, for 2024, and I can 100% guarantee it will continue as a hot topic for 2025. Um, women that are going through menopause [00:21:00] are the fastest growing demographic in the workforce. There are about over 2 million women entering menopause each year.

And 85 percent of women experience menopause symptoms at work that will affect their productivity when they’re at work. And if we look specifically at the ages 45 to 64, write that down, 45 to 64, healthcare spending for women is actually 21 percent higher than for their male counterparts. And why is that?

Well, women that reach menopause. Hormonal health is not the only important factor. Yes, it’s one that we’re all talking about, but there’s also the risks during this age range, um, for develop, for developing serious medical, excuse me, medical conditions, and those include things like [00:22:00] diabetes, dementia, Alzheimer’s, osteoporosis.

Cardiovascular disease and breast cancer. All of these conditions and health risks go up during this period of time. So it’s not only supporting menopause, but also looking at the health conditions or health risks that are part of that as well. So I think this is one of the big things that sort of gets lost in this menopause conversation.

So at YMV Health Services we definitely see 2025. As the opportunity for organizations really to add, I would say new benefits to support the menopausal years. And those benefits are not like the token fan for your desk, but benefits that include things like access to HRT, which is hormone replacement therapy.

Flexible work arrangements [00:23:00] and workplace accommodations. It’s also important to raise awareness of menopause as a business issue. Normalize conversations about menopause and aging. And you also want to train managers and leaders to be supportive. You also want to listen to employees needs, ask them what they need when it comes to specifically hormonal health, menopause, and other health risks.

Consider also what’s best for your organization. Maybe you want to initiate some sort of menopause champion group or advocates, employee resource groups. Access to different types of resources or toolkits. Foster a culture where employees feel comfortable discussing health issues without any sort of fear or judgment.

Do training. Um, we even trained our own health coaches. They’ve all been trained on [00:24:00] menopause through our partnership with Modovia. Um, one of our clients was sharing with me that, I don’t know whether it was monthly or quarterly, but they do a panel and they didn’t expect the room to be full. They had set aside an hour and people stayed even longer to ask questions.

I mean, as a speaker, when that happens, you’re like, oh my God, people are so interested in my topic. I love it. When does that happen? The other thing to think about is that menopause, hormonal health, this is not just a female issue. Companies have a lot of male leaders and they need to be part of the conversation from an awareness perspective too.

Andrea, you know, we hosted a panel and we had one of our male executives, um, who wanted to join us. He said, can I be part of the panel? And it was really because he wanted to support his female counterparts. And he didn’t want to be insensitive. He wanted [00:25:00] to support and say the right things. And I also loved it because he also said that he, of course, wanted to support his wife as well.

So you gotta love that. Um, and then the other thing to think about is sometimes we get the question, well, what’s the benefit then? And let me tell you, when you champion women’s health across the lifespan, you’re going to see real results that matter. You’re going to see improved morale. and engagement.

And we know engagement is very important. You’re going to see increased productivity and retention. Women who are going through menopause many times will leave the organization. These are women that are in leadership positions at the top of their career, and they’ve had to make the decision to leave.

Because of menopause, we also see reduced health care costs and you are ultimately creating a supportive and inclusive culture for your employees. This gives [00:26:00] them the opportunity to say, my company is great to work for, and they want to stay.

Andrea: Yeah, similar to what I mentioned earlier, that should be obvious, but I know we have to have data and metrics to back it up in a business context.

But supporting employees, including women, only really has positive upsides. So, um, it is important. You all know I love talking about mental health because of the same thing, right? When we feel better, we show up better, we do better. And this topic feels very similar to me and how we started talking about mental well being, you know, during the 2020 times and then came more benefits, more tools, more access and more.

I don’t know, easy discussions around it in a business setting. And so this feels very reminiscent to me. So if you haven’t started working on enhanced women, health options, education, or just opening that [00:27:00] discussion in your organization, here’s your sign to get that going, because it’s really only going to be of benefit to you and your company.

Christine: And you don’t have to do everything. Listed off you can start small, but it’s so important to Start with educating and asking questions if you create a private room Let’s have a panel bring in some experts and feel comfortable talking about it. I bet you will turn an hour long panel Into two hours and people will be interested male and female

Erin: This is another area where I feel data is so important, right?

So really understanding what the needs are within the population male and female, you know, regardless of of of the population but um Leveraging information to help guide strategy. I think that’s why we’ve seen mental health. Um Progress the way that it has in terms of how we’re supporting employees and likewise [00:28:00] with women’s health the way that Strategies have evolved.

There’s a lot of innovation going on in those areas focused on broadening the reach and really deepening the the reach or penetration in terms of Who can access? Support. So I, to Christine’s earlier point, these are, these are sticky trends. They will be around for a while. And so much of that, I think is as we learn more, we see the innovations and opportunities.

Uh, so we, we will be continuing to keep a pulse on all of these things.

Andrea: It is such a good point. Please don’t try to do everything at once. These are long term initiatives and trends that honestly won’t succeed if you try to do 12 things at one time anyway. So pace it out. Don’t overwhelm yourself and others.

Pick one thing or a couple of things that you want to try and do kind of a slow roll. [00:29:00] Excellent. Excellent reminder. Okay. So I know you weren’t so sure, Christine, but honestly, that was a pretty juicy topic. Okay. Let’s move to the third

Erin: trend. What’s, what do we have for number three? Yeah. So speaking about a slow roll, I’m not so sure that that applies to this trend in particular, but one that we are.

Um, we’ll be watching for a long time. So the third trend is all around artificial intelligence. It is a sticky one in the sense that it, it has been the buzz for a very long time. Last year, we were focused more on Almost the emergence of it and, um, potential applications within the, the field of workplace wellbeing.

This year, the trend is much more focused on understanding that there is clear opportunity to leverage AI to enable, uh, transformative innovations in the field. In the, um, the, the [00:30:00] space of workplace wellbeing in general, I would say , the energy and the emotion felt around AI is. One of excitement and there’s a lot of there’s a lot of positivity coming from from the field and there’s data that was released by Business Group on Health earlier this year that showed most employers feel as though AI holds a lot of promise.

Right, that, that’s a very positive statement. This is also balanced by feelings of caution and reservation. I kind of think about, um, perspectives on AI as existing a bit on a continuum. So the more I’m Intensive. Perhaps the more invasive as we think about the type of data feeding models. Um, you know, we may be a little more proceed with caution as you know, we’re thinking more from an operational efficiency perspective.

There’s there’s a little bit more appetite there. So In general, [00:31:00] very clear AI is going to continue to have a very profound impact. We’ll see it in the workplace as we already are, but also at home again, as we already are, but thinking about applications within the work that we’re doing to, to move the needle on wellbeing, we’ll continue to evolve.

Andrea: A. I. Is being discussed everywhere for good reason. I’m not going anywhere. That’s for sure. And I know for a lot of people, it can be scary due to how unknown it is and the impact it might have. So I’d be interested to hear, you know what you found or some innovative ways you see a I being used to support specifically workplace well being strategies because That I haven’t seen as much discussed.

Erin: Yeah, and I’m not necessarily going to go into specifics, but a lot of the work seems to be centered around, um, how best to optimize the experience from a point of, again, reach and access for, uh, employees, for individuals, um, creating timely and [00:32:00] meaningful connection points. Again, all with the intention of helping us to work more efficiently, be more effective, and even proactive to support individuals, um, on their well being journeys.

I think a lot of attention right now is almost Lower hanging fruit, so focused on, um, operational and administrative aspects. So it really focused on building in some efficiencies and I think over time, we’ll see more and more, um, interest in innovation going on that is around reach and access.

Andrea: Yeah, well, we’ve got to get our foundation in order, right?

Like, what can it do to help us be more effective, efficient, all of that. I am curious, because this comes up, you know, I’ve heard several times, is what about the organization’s responsibility when we’re implementing AI to enhance well being programs while, and here’s the kicker, addressing privacy and bias concerns?

[00:33:00] Any insight there?

Erin: Yeah. I think this is, uh, there is a whole lot of time being spent. Here, it’s something that WebMD thinks about a lot, um, uh, if I were to distill it into a single word, I would say governance. I think it’s really important to define those safe practices and principles around AI, what is the appetite of the organization, and how can the strategy around, uh, use of AI align to the organization’s culture.

Um, we know that the impact of AI is likely going to, uh, depend on how we’re balancing those risks and opportunities. Um, but I do believe very strongly that, um, AI can be part of the solution, but perhaps not the solution. And I think it’s really up to us to determine how to implement in, in the most responsible [00:34:00] way.

But I, but I do think from a governance perspective, it is, um, you know, putting the right people on, defining the safe practices. You know, what data are going to be used to inform, uh, the models, um, in having some very clearly documented and defined practices around it.

Andrea: Absolutely. And as we get smarter around it, I will just take this moment to remind everyone that communication will be your friend as you expand AI use in your organization and programs.

People are skeptical, especially people who aren’t using it as much as maybe someone really working to implement. So we have to communicate because in absence of information, humans make up the story. And it is almost never positive. I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again. So there you go. And it does remind me Of elevators.

I don’t know if y’all have heard this, but when elevators first became a thing, they still had the person stand there and push the [00:35:00] button, even though the elevator could do it by itself, for the comfort of the rider for a time period until people got used to it. And then now we don’t have, you know, elevator.

People that stand there and push your button, you can push your own button. So it feels like that might be a little bit of we need a hand holding while we do this transition to get people comfortable. So I would just keep that in mind. Plenty to, plenty to think about there and I’m sure we’ll talk about it more, but I would like to know what is our Fourth and final trend, what, what is the last thing that we need to pay attention to for this year?

Drumroll, please.

Christine: Um, this one is about the importance of and the influence that leadership can have on the success of employee well being at your organization. So anyone that has a well being program and is listening. [00:36:00] I encourage you to think about your leadership and how they’re showing up in support of your employees well being.

Because this is so important. It’s about how employees Feel about their employer and when they see leadership support for well being as Aaron said before they definitely feel that their employer cares about their overall well being therefore they’re three times more likely to be engaged at work and less likely to report a Experiencing burnout brings us back to trend number one They’re also less likely to actively search for a new job and more likely to advocate for your company as a great place to work Win win right erin.

Um, so I think We need to focus on Leadership participation in well being and transparency in well being because it really [00:37:00] does matter. Leaders can set the tone for the entire organization and their commitment to employee well being can definitely make a difference. Andrea, you know we like to say that when leaders prioritize well being, it signals to employees that their health and happiness matters.

So whether you’re really showcasing that you’re focused on your own well being or you’re empowering employees. To set time during the workday to focus on well being, all of these things are so important to employees. Who has time after work? They get home, they gotta make dinner, baby’s screaming, you gotta help with homework, and you’re supposed to go walk on your treadmill or go run outside.

It’s virtually impossible. There’s no time. So being able to focus on your well being as part of the workday does help. And when leaders showcase that, it reinforces that. That sense of care and, and the sense of wellbeing. [00:38:00]

Andrea: Yeah. And some people do this naturally and they kind of have their own self care and wellness routine dialed in.

And we love that, but not everybody, right. They’re probably actually in the minority. So how can companies effectively train leaders to prioritize and model, you know, model, I think, think a very important word here, uh, wellbeing behaviors.

Christine: Yeah, so I kind of like the word model better than train, um, because I feel like training, I, I don’t know, do you train people to like, want to focus on your well being, to make the right choices?

I think to make wellbeing part of your culture, leadership needs to really lead by example. They need to, uh, basically model and emulate the behaviors that they want their employees to have. And so, prioritizing wellbeing goes beyond Training, in my opinion, and it [00:39:00] requires really embedding it into the organizational culture.

So you have to believe in it. You know, you can’t train a leader to believe in it. They just have to believe in it. And it starts with that leadership buy in. So leaders must basically genuinely value and prioritize well being themselves. Also, before they can effectively model it. So we all know that, you know, lead by example, walk the talk, you know, all those sayings.

Um, Do you sort of need to encourage leaders? This might be your job, Andrea, right? Encourage our leaders to visibly practice behaviors that promote well being. So that could be things like, show that you’re taking a break, you’re setting boundaries. You’re using mental health resources that we offer, you’re prioritizing work life balance.

What does that look like? Well, you’re not keeping that Thursday meeting when you’re on vacation. You’re not on email when [00:40:00] you’re on vacation, um, or, you know. focusing on your family, whatever it may be. And it’s important to make well being a core part of the company’s mission, vision, and values. So again, this may just be my opinion, but I don’t think it’s training leaders.

It’s about speaking the language. Um, maybe to get their buy in, maybe that’s another way to say it. So, um, at Empower last year, 2024, one of our clients spoke about speaking the language. And I, I’m, I’m not gonna make this perfect, but, you know, she was saying, listen, if you have to get buy in from finance, Don’t talk about things that they’re not gonna care about like culture, engagement, and retention.

Talk about it in a way that they’re gonna understand it, like ROI, you [00:41:00] know, as an example. You know, talk about it in their language on what’s important to finance. Because that will make more sense to them and you’ll get their buy in. So, you know, just definitely focus on what leadership, what will be important to each individual leader to get their buy in and be supportive of that program.

Andrea: That is a helpful business skill and also just a powerful life skill. If you can understand what someone else is looking for, how they’re, they’re orienting the information, you will be so much more successful if you can match that energy and information and language. And the other thing I like about these topics is that they’re trends, but they have very evergreen foundational tools and practices that we can always work towards.

Because the classics are classic for a reason, even though it’s going to put on a different outfit or a different trend or, you know, [00:42:00] it’s going to subtly shift over time to what’s current, but, you know, good communication and walking the walk and all of those things are just basic human skills that are going to help you be successful in your company and in your life.

So. If we kind of step back and we, we take all of the, the trends and information that we’ve talked about, do you have one takeaway or something that you believe will define well being this year? And maybe why one little nugget you want to leave each of you with our audience?

Christine: Okay, one I will say is leadership, and I believe this one will define the future because as organizations continue to invest, I do believe that organizational care, trust, vulnerability, retention, these all are going to be very important for organizations to continue to evolve their well being [00:43:00] strategy.

But you didn’t say two and I’m just gonna say two because if I had to pick a second one I can never pick one. I would say I, and I don’t think this is going to be the year, but I, I do believe that organizations are going to make significant progress around menopause. With our help, of course.

Andrea: Great. Of course.

Erin: Yeah, I think if I were to, um, I, I’m just going to stick with one, I’m a rule follower, so there’s a little nugget about myself, rule follower, so my one, my one comment, um, and sort of piggybacking off of what Christine had just said, I think so much of the focus and the momentum will be around building the bridges between these.

These concepts, frankly, that have often been thought of as independent from each other. So, well being, organizational care, employee experience, um, organizational culture, [00:44:00] and looking across all of those with a much more, um, Um, holistic lens, I think we want to be focused on creating the environments where individuals feel employees feel that they can show up as their authentic selves, where they feel supported, they feel cared for by their employers.

Well, being is a journey. We know that it, it looks a little different for everyone at an individual. It’s also a journey for organizations. Um, and it’s going to look a little different for every organization. We know, um, echoing what we have been talking about all along, big changes are. They will not happen overnight, but with commitment and with focus, we know that we know that we can get there.

And so I, um, I am, um, I am hopeful that we will come back next year at this time and we will be able to report out on some wonderful things that [00:45:00] have been happening in these areas.

Andrea: Yes, and that is a point I just want to make sure, because I’m not sure I did it justice in the beginning, that our listeners know that we’re not just saying this because we think it.

There is actual data and research that goes into what you’re saying. So I definitely a lot of credit for the very You know, hard work of putting the, the real facts and figures together here. And this was great. And I’m, I really think it would be great to have a standing episode every year so we can stay up to date.

But for now, I can’t let you go without asking my last and favorite question, which is drum roll, as Christine said, will you share with us one thing most people don’t know about you? Because we like to keep the human and HR around here. So, Erin, I’ll go to you first. What do you have for us?

Erin: Can I use the one I just said?

I’m a reprehensible rule follower. No, um, We know [00:46:00] that. It’s a fun question. I, um, let’s see, something that people don’t really know about me. So, in addition to being a rule follower, I, I guess I, um, I’m, I, um, like really big audacious goals. Um, sometimes, well, that, that shows up a little differently, um, all the time for me.

Um, most recently, I had competed in, um, the Everesting, which is the 29, 029, and the idea is that you are ascending a mountain as many times as it takes to get to the elevation of Everest. Um, it, it, it was perhaps one of the most, uh, rewarding experiences I’ve had. In a long time for that sort of, that sort of competition, but

Andrea: wow, that is incredible.

How sore were you after?

Christine: She’s going to say, not sore at all, she trained so [00:47:00] hard.

Andrea: No, tell me you couldn’t sit down. It was a lot,

Erin: but yeah, you know, it’s one of those things where you finish and it was just, uh, maybe it was adrenaline, maybe it was community, but it, you know, it was just a, it was, uh. I was, I was ready for a good long nap.

I’ll say that. It was amazing. In a hot bath, I’m

Andrea: sure. Well, congratulations. That’s amazing. That’s amazing. Okay. No, no pressure to climb mountains, Christine, but what is something most people don’t know about you?

Christine: Well, I mean, I even forgot about this, but for those of you that didn’t know, not only is Erin super smart, but she’s super fit.

So my little, little story that you don’t know about me pales in comparison. But, um, no one knows that I did the Spartans sprint, um, which was in Vermont. I even forgot about it because, and let me explain why, I didn’t even train for it because I didn’t know I was doing it. I went to Vermont to watch my [00:48:00] kids do the kids sprint.

And the next day, my brother said, Hey, do you want to do this barn sprint with me? And I said, sure, but I don’t have sneakers, sports bra, or clothes. So I borrowed my sister in law’s stuff and jumped right in. And you have to climb up, I don’t know, Killington or something, and then carry sandbags and whatever.

Oh my gosh. I’m impressed with myself.

Erin: I’m impressed with you, Christine. That’s a sign into who Christine really is. Just

Andrea: eager, adventurous, spontaneous. I love it. You two have big goals and you are incredible athletes. So thank you for coming and sharing your wisdom and your, you know, physical fortitude with us.

Hopefully this isn’t the last time you’re on the show, but I really appreciate it. Thanks so much and we’ll see everybody next time.

Erin: Thank you.

Andrea: Thanks, Andrea.