Igniting the Tech Change in a PostPandemic Workplace: How Companies Are Shifting Focus to Health and Safety as Turnover Accelerates.

• Author: Frasca, R.J.
• Position: [WORKPLACE]

* Current employees are leaving behind the uncertainty and burnout of the pandemic and setting their sights on new jobs now that COVID-19 cases in America are on a steady decline. Healthcare workers who put their lives in jeopardy caring for COVID-19 patients are searching for roles that prioritize their physical and emotional health. Essential workers, such as grocery store associates, want better protective measures and higher wages to offset their exposure risks. Newly remote employees who had to perform their daily duties in a virtual environment while expanding caretaking roles are demanding a better work-life balance. Organizations risk record voluntary attrition if they don't shift their focus to protecting employees' health and safety.

Prudential's Pulse of the American Worker Survey found "a significant number of respondents said they switched jobs during the pandemic (20%) or plan to look for a new job when the threat of the pandemic decreases (26%)." Reasons for this include people feeling disconnected from their employer, being burnt out, and experiencing the effects of dwindling company culture. Individuals are looking for an employer that prioritizes health and safety in the workplace, which have become critical components of a post-pandemic world.

So how can companies ensure they meet this newly defined employee experience? The answer may lie in capitalizing on emerging technology to enhance workflows and pinpoint gaps in health safety to improve overall employee safety. These efforts will be able to create a more positive employee experience and a passageway to retaining quality employees, recruiting new talent, decreasing budgetary spending, and surviving the "turnover tsunami."

Evidence has shown that outbreaks become costly for the health and safety of an organization, such as the $10.4 billion in direct costs for hospital and outpatient visits during peak flu season. Risk management departments need to have robust health management solutions to mitigate the spread of influenza or other contagious viruses that can be devastating to the employee experience and the bottom line.

Below are three workplace technologies organizations can adopt to provide better risk management solutions to ensure new and current employees feel more at ease as they return to work:

* End-to-end health and safety solutions: Utilizing a holistic health and wellness technology platform promotes a positive employee experience while staying compliant...