The Importance of Workplace Well-Being for Long-Term Care Employees

I recently finished a pre-busy-season leisure read called “Distant Replay” by pro football Hall of Famer Jerry Kramer. The book is about a 1984 reunion of Kramer’s teammates from the first Super Bowl, which was played in January 1967.

What I found fascinating was the unbelievable amount of personal growth and financial success these ex-football players accomplished in post-football life. They all attribute that to being mentored and led by head coach Vince Lombardi, who instituted an environment, culture, and work ethic that drove their success post-football.

So how is this relevant to the wellness of long-term care (LTC) employees? I believe it illustrates how owners and managers can positively affect and enable growth in their employees’ professional and personal lives. Facility leaders have started to realize that they have to prioritize caring for employees if they want to provide the best patient care possible — and that starts with creating the proper work environment, culture, and ethic.

But getting employees engaged and showing up to work in the post-pandemic world can be a challenge in itself. In addition, even if you can get your workers back on site, many of them are “quiet quitting.” This term, found on many social media platforms, describes workers who do the bare minimum with no additional effort and no additional hours. This approach will not bring success to the employee or the employer.

In “Distant Replay,” the former players interviewed at the reunion agreed that although Lombardi had 40 different types of people to manage, he got them to act as one. He motivated each one, on their own level, to achieve greatness in their professional and personal lives. He did not tolerate players who did not give their full effort. A quiet quitter would not have lasted long on his team.

So, what can be done to re-engage employees, change quiet quitters’ attitude, and bring a winning culture to your business? Maybe it’s as simple as engaging with and demonstrating care for the employees on your team. For example, be aware of challenges in an employee’s personal life and offer to support them through an established HR team and wellness benefits plan. In addition, make sure you communicate company goals and successes to create a more transparent and trusting workplace environment. In this vein, employers should also provide ongoing and open feedback on an employee’s performance. Giving employees opportunities to learn and grow in their job will enhance their self-esteem and job performance. Finally, watching for signs of burnout and making sure employees are not taking on more than they can handle will help create a positive environment — and reduce the urge to ask Google for sick day excuses.

If you have any comments or questions, please do not hesitate to contact a trusted Marcum professional.