In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, employees’ ability to adapt and quickly recover from challenges continues to be tested in countless ways.
Employees who have low resilience are more likely to have lower satisfaction at work, feelings of low self-worth, low self-esteem, and lower professional ambition and performance. If feelings of stress, depression, and loneliness are not addressed, this can lead to worsening health conditions in the future.
Americans with low resilience are five times more likely to be impacted by COVID-19. According to a recent survey conducted by Cigna, 63% of full-time workers have moderate to low levels of resilience.
“Especially today, there are too many people who may not share feelings of stress or anxiety but are really struggling and need someone to turn to. As a global health services company, we want to make sure people have the opportunity to be the healthiest version of themselves.”
Dr. Doug Nemecek, Chief Medical Officer for Behavioral Health, Cigna
A positive work culture can have an extremely meaningful impact on overall wellbeing. There are numerous ways employers can help their employees become more resilient, including:
- Supporting inclusivity so workers feel like they belong and have a sense of community.
- Encourage diversity of race, religion, ethnicity, socioeconomic class, sexual orientation, etc.
- Provide resources and services to help employees understand what mental health resources are available to them so they can ultimately take action to improve their overall wellbeing.
A resilient workforce is not only a productive workforce, but a healthier one and can help drive lower healthcare costs too. Cigna’s research shows that resilience is a skill that exists in all of us from a young age and it works like a muscle throughout our entire lives.
Employers — take the time to build relationships with your employees and assist them in activating their resilience muscle by communicating available benefits and resources, like employee assistance programs, as well as COVID-19 specific safety measures and tools.
Learn more at CignaResilience.com.