Good work!

But, as the saying goes, money isn’t everything, and over the past 75 years researchers have taken a closer look at what drives job satisfaction and productivity and an even deeper dive since the pandemic. 

A 2022 workforce survey by the American Psychological Association, for example, shows that 7 out of 10 employees believe their employer is paying more attention to mental health concerns than before. Additionally, workforce analytics company Zippia found 52% of U.S. companies have implemented wellness programs, compared to 37% in 2018.

“There is value in making sure that your employees are finding satisfaction and happiness at work,” says Huml, pointing to benefits to the company such as fewer sick days, lower health care costs for insurers and increased job performance. Happy workers, says an Oxford study, directly affect the bottom line, with a 13% increase in productivity.

UC has actually been at the forefront of recognizing employee health and well-being, says Ashley San Diego, the wellness manager for Be Well UC, which formed in 2015.

Be Well UC is a voluntary employee wellness program that offers a variety of support, resources and education for faculty and staff. Resources and services available to UC employees include one-on-one health coaching, an online wellness portal, Take 5 microbreak kits, walking maps, the Employee Assistance Program and stress management tools with the Calm app.

“We know that when we bring our whole selves to work, where we are valued and cared for, we are going to have better health outcomes, be more productive, less stressed and feel more connected to the mission,” says San Diego.

To date, she says, about 41% of eligible UC staff and faculty are utilizing the wellness portal for tools, such as connecting with group challenges and shout-outs, tracking healthy habits, learning with self-paced journeys and getting connected to resources such as UC Recreation Center facilities and programs.  

There are also rewards for participation: Eligible employees can earn up to $300 each year for working on their overall wellness. In 2023, 2,163 employees earned a cumulative total $318,620, she says.

At UC “it’s about acknowledging that people are people first, before they are a student, before they're an employee,” says Amanda Oney, associate professor/educator of health promotion and education, in the School of Human Services, who also serves as a committee member of Healthy UC, a university-wide collaborative focused on the well-being of students, staff and faculty.

Healthy UC was started in 2018 and adopted the now 540-member Mental Health Champions network that was initially launched for the students, but soon grew to include additional support for faculty and staff and now works in tandem with Be Well UC to keep well-being top of mind, says Oney.

“These are people who are equipped on campus to provide that first level of support and be that connector between people in need and the resources that exist,” she says.

Which brings us back to smartwatches. With Be Well UC employees can connect their wearable devices like smartwatches or smart rings to a portal to record health factors such as activity.

“Physical health is not something you can fake,” says study author Huml, adding that he sees real benefit using biometrics to track physical health and the correlation between good and bad days at work.

“You will be able to see what work experience is helping or harming your health.”

Photos: Original photography by Andrew Higley unless otherwise noted
Featured image at top: Courtesy of lithiumcloud
Design: Kerry Overstake
UC Marketing + Communications

The research team on the study, "Working to Live or Living to Work? How Daily Work Experiences are Affecting Sport Employee Biometric Health,” includes Gabe Sanders and Peyton Stensland, both assistant professors of sport administration in the UC School of Human Services.