We’ve covered ten quick tips around inclusive wellbeing programs or events here. 

Let’s get right into five further questions for you to consider around this topic: 

1. Is it inclusive for all needs and expectations? 

When we look at inclusive wellbeing, it’s about ensuring that everyone’s needs are met. One area where this is key is the content that the user will consume in any wellbeing offering, whether communications, or specifically within a program, event or ‘challenge’. 

We’ve previously looked at issues related to what most people see as inclusivity, such as ensuring that accessibility is achieved by meeting different needs, such as issues with sight or reading, or relevant to physical needs. 

Yet there is also another angle, which is that there may be those people who are able to consume content quickly, and, those who are also looking for more detail and information.

So are you catering for the different levels of which different people like to learn?

To look further at this main question: 

• When you provide ‘a wellbeing thing’ to your people, is there a bitesize component? Do all people need to ‘complete’ it or attend the same event (whether virtual/hybrid/physical) at the same time? 
• Does the information simply talk about wellbeing in a general way, or does it explain the foundations AND also go beyond the information they may see on social media or other media forms? 
• Is each person able to take in or ‘do’ the delivered format at their own pace, whether slow or fast? 
• Is there a choice of connecting with a colleague (e.g. buddying up) or going it alone? 

2. Does it allow each person to decide what wellbeing means for them? 

We fully believe in the holistic power of yoga and mindfulness in boosting wellbeing – while completely understanding that they aren’t for everyone, and, are often referred to when clutching at straws to quickly offer ‘something wellbeing’. 

Large organisations often have greatly diverse sectors of their people – i.e. not only corporate professionals who do their work at a desk. 

We see wellbeing as its definition: comfort, health and happiness. Each person can decide how they want to ‘live well’ and what their own relationship is to feel in control with each of The Four Elements: Eat, Sweat, Think and Connect. 

So:

• Are you presenting wellbeing from a range of perspective beyond the usual tropes? 
• Does any wellbeing initiative/event/happening seek to deliver a noticeable result, whether in something specific, e.g. better sleep and more energy, or a general improved daily working experience? 
• How can all people in the organisation access this? Tech and apps are often presumed to be popular, yet is there a need for printed materials, in-person conversations or others? 
• Do people feel as though they have time to take – during working hours – to actively participate? Or do they feel that their working tasks are so high that they feel stressed to even consider taking part in an ‘extra’ effort? 

3. How much support are leaders given? 

We talk about ‘leading with wellbeing’, but very much from the sense that leaders need support and help in their goal to create a culture of safety, openness and where people feel comfortable to be themselves. 

The key here is the support and guidance provided to Leaders, rather than an organisation expecting this to simply happen – particularly with wellbeing as an evolving situation in workplaces as we move forwards. 

Inclusive wellbeing extends to everyone, so when a large organisation adopts a holistic wellbeing initiative, or provides a series of events or programs for its people, how are Leaders supported in encouraging engagement and attendance? 

• What easy-to-use toolkits are given to Leaders? 
• How is their own wellbeing, from the position of responsibility for others, bring supported? 
• Is there a platform or channel whereby Leaders can share with other Leaders about experiences and learnings? 
• What specific education and learning programs are offered so Leaders can continually upskill and feel confident about the topic of workplace wellbeing? 

4. Does diversity take into account the cultures of age ranges? 

It’s not uncommon to see articles across the media refer to how organisations can or should aim to serve the needs ot their Gen Z workforce, while a few years ago the same articles referenced millennials. It’s rare to see the hows and whys of organisations appealing to the preference of the Gen X age range or those above the age of 55. 

Although this may be generalising, we’ll try to look at reference-based evidence of how different age ranges consume content. 

• Generation Z (Born mid-1990s to early 2010s): 
• Reference: According to a survey by GlobalWebIndex, 65% of Gen Z respondents said they spend more than 3 hours per day on social media. 
• Short-form mobile content: They prefer bite-sized, visually engaging content such as videos, GIFs, and short articles. 
• Interactivity: Interactive and gamified content tends to capture their attention and keeps them engaged. 

• Millennials (Born early 1980s to mid-1990s): 
• Reference: Nielsen’s Total Audience Report indicates that millennials spend over 10 hours per week listening to podcasts. 
• Multi-Platform Consumers: Millennials use a mix of devices and platforms, including smartphones, laptops, and social media. 
• Podcasts: Podcasts have gained popularity among millennials for on-the-go consumption. 

• Generation X (Born early 1960s to early 1980s): 
• Reference: A study by Pew Research Center found that 73% of Gen Xers use YouTube, and 69% use Facebook. 
• Email Newsletters: Gen Xers often prefer email newsletters and updates to stay informed. 
• Educational Content: They appreciate content that provides insights, knowledge, and practical advice. 

• Baby Boomers (Born mid-1940s to early 1960s): 
• Reference: A study by AARP Media Sales reported that 79% of baby boomers use the internet for news and information.  
• Informative Content: They appreciate well-researched, fact-based articles and reports, presented in longer-form 
• Email and Websites: Boomers rely on email updates and websites for information. 
• Visual Content: Infographics and visuals can be effective in conveying information to this demographic. 

5. What comes before and after? 

Including everyone is fantastic – and that means general needs as well as special needs, those in the majority as well as the minority. 

Where does inclusivity sit – and stand out – in the organisation? Is there any kind of explanation or manifesto as to how the organisation sees inclusivity and accessibility? How often is this referred to or when/where does it come up? 

What is its relation to the organisation’s wellbeing manifesto or purpose? 

With wellbeing seen as comfort, health and happiness, how are your people invited (AKA included) to share their true thoughts and feelings? 

Is DE&I seen as society’s basic precepts of race and gender, or is true lifestyle and background taken into account also? 

These points may not be the easiest to either define or set down in stone, yet alongside the vision and mission statements and even the slogans and promises, how is wellbeing made accessible, attractive and a reality during the working day? 

To get clarity on this: we’re here for a conversation with you, and we’d love to find out more about what you’re going through.