Why Most Solutions Do Not Provide Workers With What They Need

Right now, workers are leaving or not even applying to jobs because of burnout. This is especially true for many industries that spent the last two years of the pandemic being on the “front lines.” The solutions employers are offering are not addressing this trend or others that affect the entirety of workers’ actual needs. It shows that they are out of touch with their workers. They are essentially offering services that put a band-aid on a gash wound. Employers do not review their offerings against current job market trends and keep to the same standards that may not be meeting their workers’ needs of today. 

The truth is that more people are stressed and have growing responsibilities now that the pandemic is waning. They may have a: reduction in leisure time, an increase in caregiving duties for their elderly family members and/or children, and have shifted how they work from full-time to part-time or contract. In fact, 30% of workers have been negatively impacted by the pandemic. Employers cannot afford to not listen to their workers’ needs anymore, especially in the current job market where attracting and retaining workers is getting harder. 

‍

One size does not fit all

Support for workers tends to be a one size fits all approach. Even though most employers have a range of workers based on age, race, sexual orientation, and family size, they offer packages that don’t address everyone's needs. Hiring younger people may mean they need support with their student loans, and they think of their retirement differently. In contrast, someone older with childcare and eldercare responsibilities may need support for their retirement, health, and caregiving roles. 

Employers need to understand their workers’ needs; and ask themselves why or what keeps each of their workers from coming to work. Employers need to consider that if they want to attract diverse talent with different life experiences, they should choose offerings that offer a wide range of support for different lifestyles and situations. This requires employers to have a sense of empathy and understanding for their workers. 

‍

Diverse workers are not receiving enough support 

There is a lack of diverse support for those who have different experiences based on their demographic. The pandemic highlighted systemic oppression on a global scale. Hiring diverse staff is one thing, but retaining diverse staff is difficult if employers do not address the disparities in inadequate offerings that do not fully support their health and well-being. In a 2021 survey, people of color and LGBTQ+ workers received less support for their health.  In fact, 30% of diverse workers considered switching jobs as a result of inadequate support for their well-being. 

Many employers say they are committed to social justice yet need a more basic level of support that would attract and retain a diverse demographic of workers. Diverse workers are less likely to feel that their employers’ offerings support their needs or show they even care about them. Even at work, people of color and LGBTQ+ workers say that they feel more isolated from their other colleagues and feel they face more inequalities in the workplace, which leads to stress and a strain on their overall well-being. 

Employers need to support their diverse workers that speak to their stress, health, and well-being. Providing a standard healthcare plan does not necessarily speak to all your diverse workers’ needs because the providers themselves seem discriminatory, do not provide adequate care, and do not address the added stresses that they face in and out of the workplace. Also, employers’ standard healthcare benefits tend to be costly over time and do not respond to evolving changes in their diverse workers’ lives. 

‍

The mental health support is not adequate enough

Mental health support is a must nowadays as a result of the pandemic. 25% of workers say they are more stressed than ever because of remote working. Even though more employers are responding to the need, 67% of workers say they are not receiving enough support. Only a quarter of employers increased their mental health offerings during the pandemic, which means a majority of employers still need to. A lot of workers are finding that these offerings are reactionary and do not adequately address why they are stressed and what is making them stressed. 

Workers want to work for people who show they care. By addressing not only the symptoms of their mental illness/stress in and out of work but also the root causes of why they may be stressed, employers can ensure their workers are fully supported to come to work and do their best. 

‍

Empleo can address the inadequacies 

Empleo offers access to offerings that target the root of workers’ needs. Empleo is a marketplace that is varied and evolves alongside your workers. Empleo is helping small business owners think equitably about their offerings to take into account the needs of their diverse demographic. It isn’t a one size fits all approach because, as small business owners work with us, our offerings can change to respond to workers’ needs, geographical locations, language, work statuses, and identities. 

Empleo tackles real-life challenges a worker may face; this includes: future planning, family support, basic needs, financial wellness, and health and well-being. We think outside the box because we look at standard packages and think about workers’ needs not being addressed, for example, pet care or access to fresh food. 

We take a more holistic approach, addressing all that a worker may be going through and facing; while alleviating the planning and vetting for employers. Plus, we offer support that targets their present-day problems. For example, offering a one size fits all retirement plan may not support the availability of cash and wealth that most workers have now.  As of this year, 64% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck. Empleo offerings target their need to build wealth now so that retirement doesn’t become a figment of their imaginations in the future. 

Empleo offers services that can show that employers have compassion, empathy, and awareness for their workers and address their vulnerabilities. We help employers rethink the way they work with and for their workers.