Over the past two years, the concept of employee wellness has taken on greater meaning. Like so many organizations, the pandemic forced us to reimagine not just where and when we work, but how we work. Gone were the days of in-person collaboration, replaced by a seemingly endless series of Zoom meetings and phone check-ins. Even our lunch breaks became noticeably less exciting (more leftovers, anyone?).
While our shift to remote operations was a successful one, the challenges we faced—maintaining connections with clients and colleagues as well as the sheer uncertainty of what lay ahead—couldn’t be ignored. We worked diligently with our colleagues and partners to pivot our wellness program to ensure our community remained engaged, motivated, supported and healthy.
As we welcome a new year (and the hope of brighter days ahead), we feel it’s important to remind you, our colleagues, of the many wellness initiatives CRA offers—and to show you what we have in store for 2022.
Last year, our team launched:
- Six wellness challenges, including a virtual 5K that drew more than 100 participants from 15 offices (and covered nearly 900 total miles); and the 1,000-Strong Challenge, when more than 140 participants committed to completing 1,000 reps of strength exercises over 30 days.
- 12 wellness newsletters, which included tips for things like proper ergonomics and time and stress management, reminders about the importance of taking time off, and easy-to-make recipes—just to name a few.
- 25 wellness workshops that reached over 1,000 participants, with covered topics ranging from financial wellness, cooking demonstrations, caregiver support, tips for working at home and creating healthy boundaries with technology.
- A global wellness platform with Virgin Pulse, now available to all our colleagues.
- Our inaugural class of Wellness Ambassadors, which spans numerous practices, regions and roles within CRA.
- A new-and-improved Cycle to Work program in the U.K., which provides our colleagues greater access to deeply discounted bikes (as well as a discounted bikeshare membership).
- Gympass memberships for colleagues in three countries, covering activities for mind, body and mood.
- A virtual Babysitters Club, which provides free entertainment to kids so their parents can get a break (more than 100 sessions have been booked).
We’re incredibly proud of the work our colleagues have done in bringing these programs to fruition, as well as the level of engagement from CRA team members around the world.
But our work is far from over. We have several initiatives lined up for 2022, including (but not limited to):
- Enhancing our global wellness program with quarterly games and rewards.
- Creating and integrating mental health support resources such as easily accessible tip sheets and ongoing training.
- Increasing our emphasis on financial wellness with initiatives including workshops, financial wellness challenges and 1:1 education sessions.
- Expanding access to wellness content and resources, including customized learning tracks through LinkedIn Learning.
- Developing “regional” wellness perks that best meet the diverse needs of our colleagues.
We’re so excited to get these new programs and enhancements off the ground. If there’s one thing the last two years has taught us, it’s that keeping employees balanced and engaged is critical to maintaining productivity. Even as things slowly return to our “new normal,” the health and well-being of our team members—psychological, physical, financial and otherwise—will always be of paramount importance.
As we work to improve our existing suite of wellness offerings, your input and feedback will be critical. Have you participated in one of our programs and want to provide a testimonial? Do you have an idea for a new wellness initiative? We’d love to hear from you! Please email Wellness@crai.com.
