With 95 per cent of employees working from home as of mid-March, TMX Group Ltd.’s wellness team quickly mobilized to create and implement a weekly virtual wellness program to keep them happy, healthy, engaged and motivated during a truly challenging time.
The program, which was rolled out across the first 10 weeks of the coronavirus pandemic, was the key factor in the financial services company’s win in the Coronavirus and Benefits category for an employer with fewer than 5,000 employees at Benefits Canada‘s 2020 Workplace Benefits Awards in mid-October.
Read: Who are the winners of the 2020 Workplace Benefits Awards?
Karin Adams, interim senior vice-president and group head of human resources at TMX Group, says the success of the program is tied to the fact that the company recognized that the experience of the pandemic is very unique to each employee. “So we stopped and thought creatively — we have all these great things we want to do, but everyone is going to need something different and everyone is going to respond differently.”
In launching its weekly wellness themes, which included physical fitness, nutrition, financial wellness, childcare and elder care, TMX Group made sure it offered a read, a listen, a watch and a do, she says. “Some people love to read, so here’s a great article, and some people love to listen, so here’s a podcast, a watch — either a webinar or a video — and obviously a lot of people like the do, so we may create a physical challenge.
“I think the success was really recognizing the individuality and how this impacts people differently and launching all of our various things in a way that everybody could take part and some piece of it would resonate with everyone.”
Read: Robust communications campaign leads to award for TMX Group
In its awards entry, the organization noted its total rewards package plays an important role in employees’ engagement. However, faced with the challenges of a new way of working, the wellness team had to transform its wellness program into a digital, multi-channel approach.
“The reason we’re so proud of this award and what we’ve done is we’ve looked at the challenges and opportunities,” says Adams. “I think the pandemic has created a real shift in the role of the employer and the expectations that employees have of their employer, not just from helping employees manage their work-life [balance] or how they feel about work, but how they manage their entire lives, their lifestyle. And the lines between work and home blurring has allowed organizations to really reframe how they support their staff and their total well-being.
“When we approached everything we did with that lens, we tried to take a total well-being approach, so helping people navigate financial well-being, obviously emotional and mental-health well-being . . . [and] physical well-being. And really being that organization that nudges people to support their well-being in all aspects.”
Read a full list of the 2020 Workplace Benefits Awards winners.