Low Employee Engagement? Make Time for Nothing!

    Make time for nothing?  At work?  Counterintuitive at first glance, I know.  But consider this: in a recent “State of the American Workplace” Gallup report, a dismal 30% of employees reported being engaged and inspired at work. 50% categorized themselves as not engaged, and 20% admitted being actively disengaged.

If you think employee engagement is insignificant, think again.  Disengaged employees cost companies big money, in the form of low productivity, absenteeism, and healthcare costs.

How can you accelerate employee engagement?  Gallup reports, “Enhance Employees Wellbeing,” as one of the top three ways to engage employees, because engaged workers live healthier lives and have lower healthcare costs.  Additionally, engaged employees far outshine disengaged employees in crucial performance outcomes.  So, it seems logical that wellness programs would be every company’s top priority.  But, what type of wellness?  It’s abroad topic.

At the core of employee disengagement is stress.  The APA says 70% of stress is work-related, and according to the World Health Organization, stress costs American businesses an estimated 300 billion a year.

Meditation – a stress reduction tool that’s sweeping the nation – might be the answer for turning this problem around.  Teaching employees empowering skills that help them reduce their own stress, improve their health, and engage at work, is a concept that is transforming corporate cultures nationwide.  Google, Apple, General Mills and many other companies have implemented meditation and other processes, to help their employees thrive – personally and professionally.

While it’s not technically “doing nothing,” meditation does require a few minutes of uninterrupted silence and inward awareness.  Its scientifically proven benefits are vast, and include: a measurable reduction in stress, lower blood pressure, decreased stress hormones, and more.  Employees who are allowed to meditate at work are reporting less stress, more mental clarity, and better focus. 

Is it time for your company to make time for nothing?