Make Holistic Wellness a Cornerstone of Your Associate Value Proposition

Breakthru Beverage CHRO Stephanie Soto shares how investments in associate wellness can impact your organization

NEW YORK, April 22, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Wellness is more than physical health; it includes emotional, financial and social health as well. If we want our employees to perform optimally at work, then we must also support their overall wellness. As employers, we need to recognize the holistic nature of wellness and make it a cornerstone of our workplace culture. When our people are feeling well, they are better able to bring their best selves to their work, colleagues and all aspects of their life.

In 2022 when I started at Breakthru Beverage Group, the beverage alcohol wholesaler was still coming to terms with how the COVID-19 pandemic upended work. Breakthru's employees are warehouse workers, drivers, sales consultants and corporate professionals, all with unique needs and from varied geographies and backgrounds. It was obvious that we needed an approach that worked for everyone and could better support our associate's total well-being through these challenging times and beyond.

For us, it was a focus on holistic wellness, and we moved fast to make it a key pillar of Breakthru's Associate Value Proposition (AVP). Here are three keys to delivering on that goal:

Incorporate wellness into every part of the employee experience

Our AVP consists of three distinct pillars—Growth, Belonging and Wellness.

Initially our Wellness pillar had basic wellness offerings like comprehensive benefits, paid time off and an employee assistance program. Now that has significantly expanded. A recently launched company-wide app promotes physical wellness through health tracking, group challenges and reward points for physical health checks, taking health-related training, physical activity and other related actions.

Taking care of our people and ensuring their wellness is also directly connected to supporting their sense of Growth and Belonging. Training, certifications, mentorship, promotions and other opportunities can open doors to new career paths, opportunities and further development. More than 13,000 online Diversity, Equity & Inclusion microlessons have been completed by employees, contributing further to cultivating an inclusive workplace. Additionally, our Associate Resource Groups, Culture Ambassadors and community engagement initiatives are at the heart of creating a sense of connectedness to our culture. More than 1,000 of our employees are involved in our five ARGs and report a greater sense of community and empowerment because of their involvement.

Proactively address barriers to wellness

While it is a company's duty to pay their employees a living wage at minimum, meeting that requirement does not account for someone's personal financial history or circumstances, and fails to help them in the event of a financial emergency. The gap between earning money and receiving those earnings can be a source of financial stress as there are limited options that are truly helpful in bridging this gap. According to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, a typical payday loan has an interest rate of almost 400 percent.

To foster financial wellness, we offer early wage access that gives employees both access to their paychecks when they need it and the flexibility to manage their finances in a way that works for them. In the first few months of this program, nearly 500 employees have taken advantage of this tool and early accessed more than $655,000 to address issues like unexpected medical bills, transportation challenges and others, while expressing gratitude that they can "cover those surprises that pop up."

The benefits to companies are clear as well. Financial wellness programs such as early wage access help employers stand out to candidates and reduce turnover, particularly at the 90-day mark. It also promotes financial security and well-being, which increases employee engagement and satisfaction at work by relieving some of the burden of financial stress.

Make wellness accessible through technology

Offering a variety of wellness programs is great, but nothing will come of them if they are not accessible and easy to use. As much time as we all spend on our cellphones, we knew that an app was the best choice for a successful wellness initiative at Breakthru.

Pulse, which has been recognized as the world's #1 health and well-being app, puts holistic wellness in the palms of employees' hands. The app offers both physical wellness benefits through health tracking and social and emotional wellness support through recognition features. Employees can earn Pulse Rewards by participating in LIVE WELL initiatives and for other voluntary activities, like DEI-focused activities.

We also use technology to promote wellness initiatives and reinforce healthy habits. Employees can access information about wellness programs any time via the company Intranet, and we reshare messages regularly in companywide newsletters. Digital billboards in our offices and warehouses also broadcast program reminders, wellness-centered images, and other company announcements.  

If we are to truly recognize that wellness is more than just physical health, we must also ensure it plays a significant role in our work environment and be embedded and supported in our company cultures.

SOURCE Breakthru Beverage Group