Executive Summary: The demands of modern work often directly conflict with employees’ ability to prioritize their overall well-being. Deloitte’s research reveals that heavy workloads, long hours, and an inability to disconnect from work are major obstacles preventing employees from engaging in healthy habits and achieving their wellness goals. With work bleeding into personal lives more than ever before, organizations must take responsibility for promoting healthier norms and addressing the detrimental impact of unhealthy work practices on employee well-being. Failure to do so will continue to fuel burnout, fatigue, and mental health issues that undermine productivity, retention, and organizational performance.

The Role of Work in Hindering Employee Well-Being

Unhealthy Work Habits

In today’s “always-on” work culture, unhealthy habits like working long hours, not taking breaks, and being unable to disconnect have become the norm. Deloitte’s survey found that only around half of employees use all their vacation time, take microbreaks during the day, get enough sleep, or have enough time for friends and family. For the C-suite, the numbers were only slightly better at around two-thirds.

The top reasons employees cited for not taking time off included having too much work (24%), wanting to show dedication (22%), and concerns over work piling up (22%). A quarter of executives don’t disconnect because they fear an unmanageable workload or missing important communications when they return.

These unhealthy habits don’t just impact work-life balance – they directly undermine employees’ ability to prioritize self-care and wellness goals. An overwhelming 83% of employees and 74% of the C-suite said their jobs created obstacles to achieving their well-being objectives this year.

Impact on Well-being

The toll of these unhealthy work practices is evident in the high rates of fatigue, mental health struggles like stress and anxiety, and overall poor well-being reported by employees. Less than two-thirds rated their physical and mental health as “excellent” or “good.”

This chronic stress and lack of self-care takes an immense toll. Employees who don’t prioritize well-being are more likely to experience burnout, which decreases engagement, productivity, creativity, and job satisfaction. It also increases the risk of developing more serious mental and physical health issues over time.

For employers, this widespread burnout contributes to higher absenteeism, presenteeism, turnover, and healthcare costs – expenses that far exceed what it would cost to implement supportive well-being initiatives.

Organizational Responsibility

While taking personal responsibility for self-care is important, employees’ ability to prioritize well-being is heavily influenced by workplace culture and norms. When an “always on” mentality is rewarded and reinforced, work will inevitably take precedence over other aspects of life.

Organizations must examine the systems, policies, and leadership behaviors that enable these unhealthy work habits to persist. Things like:

• Having no ramifications for not taking vacation time
• Glorifying hustle culture and overwork
• Measuring productivity by hours worked rather than output
• Not modeling work-life boundaries at a leadership level

By addressing these root causes, employers can start creating a culture that truly enables and encourages well-being as an organizational priority.

Strategies for Improvement

To start reversing unhealthy work habits, organizations should:

• Implement minimum vacation time policies and well-being days
• Establish and model set work hours and expectations around response times
• Provide infrastructure and training for remote work boundaries
• Offer mental health services and well-being coaching
• Celebrate employees demonstrating work-life balance
• Measure and incentivize output rather than face-time

Perhaps most importantly, leaders across all levels must embody the changes they want to see. By prioritizing their own self-care, disconnecting fully from work, and empowering employees to do the same, executives can help shift the narrative around what behaviors are valued and recognized.

Summary

Unhealthy work practices have become endemic, fueling a well-being crisis that undermines individuals and organizations alike. By addressing the root causes that normalize these behaviors, employers can start alleviating major stressors and empowering employees to invest in their self-care. Promoting a culture of work-life boundaries, flexibility, and support for well-being will be key for increasing engagement, performance, and retention going forward. Leaders who authentically embrace and model this mindset shift will be better positioned to attract and retain top talent seeking healthier ways of working.

Sam Palazzolo, Principal Officer @ The Javelin Institute

Reference: Fisher, J., & Silverglate, P. H. (2022, June 22). The C-suite’s role in well-being. Deloitte Insights. https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/insights/topics/leadership/employee-wellness-in-the-corporate-workplace.html