Supporting Employee Wellness in a Time of Tumult

August was National Wellness Month—and fittingly, it was also our annual remote month here at Link. This is a time when team members are free to work from anywhere, be that a far-flung exotic locale or simply their living room couch.

National Wellness Month and our remote month are ending but growing Link’s employee-centric culture is a year-round focus. Why? It’s simple: While we own thousands of properties all around the country, our phenomenal people are our greatest asset. Wanting them to thrive is a natural human desire for us.

At a time when the job market is resetting and many people are questioning their careers and priorities, focusing on employee wellness is a competitive advantage. According to Gallup, employees who are not thriving in their lives are 61 percent more likely to experience burnout.

We are building Link as an employee-centric organization, which means our focus on wellness goes far beyond offering comprehensive benefits. Link is a new company—less than four years old—and we are still evolving our programs to be tailored to our colleagues. We know we can and must do better in certain areas and are dedicated to continuous self-assessment and improvement. Positively impacting our people’s lives overall, and not just at work, will always be a work in progress.

While we are still at the beginning of our journey, we have put some important pieces in place. Along with our August remote month, we have a hybrid work model that provides people greater flexibility to tend to their families and personal lives. We also offer financial assistance to help employees and their dependents access healthcare not available where they live, enhanced mental health support including company-paid family subscriptions to Ginger and Headspace, adoption and fertility assistance, paid time off to volunteer, parental leave and educational assistance.

Beyond perks and programs, we have taken great care to create an organizational culture defined by a sense of community, empathy, belonging and genuine support. I am thrilled every time one of our people shouts-out a teammate on our internal recognition platform or “likes” and comments on a vacation photo shared on our corporate intranet. I also see this culture of caring manifested in everyday interactions.

To help guide our way forward, we solicit feedback and listen to our people. We do this by ensuring open channels of communication between employees and their managers, as well as larger initiatives like engagement surveys, town halls and “ask me anything” sessions with senior leaders.

I’m proud of what we’ve done and continue to do for our people here at Link and also know we have ample opportunity, particularly around meeting the needs of diverse groups, as we continue to grow. So, I write this piece not to brag but to share insight with our Link team into how we work to help them thrive inside and outside the office.

By prioritizing employee wellness, we can make our companies, industries and the overall economy healthier. All of us—organizations, stakeholders, employees and our friends and families—will be better for it. At Link, we’re just getting started but are committed to getting this right.