Leveraging Technology for Employee Wellness in the Remote Work Era
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Leveraging Technology for Employee Wellness in the Remote Work Era


Digital Art by Michael Yearby

The advent of the remote work era, accelerated by the recent global pandemic, has significantly impacted the landscape of employee wellness. Technology now plays an even more pivotal role in ensuring employee well-being in this new world of work (Messenger et al., 2017). This article explores how organizations can leverage technology to enhance employee wellness in the era of remote work.


Remote Work and Employee Wellness


Remote work offers several benefits, including flexibility and reduced commute times. However, it poses challenges like isolation, work-life balance issues, and physical health concerns (Allen et al., 2015). Thus, maintaining employee wellness in the remote work era is a pressing issue.


The Role of Technology in Employee Wellness


Technological advancements provide many tools and platforms to promote employee wellness in remote work. These include virtual communication tools, health and fitness apps, digital wellness platforms, and AI-driven personal health advisors (Yassaee et al., 2019).


Strategies to Leverage Technology for Employee Wellness


Digital Wellness Platforms


These platforms provide resources and tools for physical health, mental health, nutrition, sleep, stress management, and more. They can offer personalized wellness plans, track progress, and provide insights and recommendations (Yassaee et al., 2019).


Virtual Communication Tools


Virtual communication tools facilitate work-related communication and promote social interaction, reducing feelings of isolation (Messenger et al., 2017). Regular virtual team-building activities can foster camaraderie and team spirit.



Health and Fitness Apps


Health and fitness apps can motivate employees to maintain a healthy lifestyle by tracking their activity, providing workout suggestions, and offering nutrition advice. They can be used to organize company-wide fitness challenges, fostering a culture of health and wellness (Gurrin et al., 2014).


Case Studies


Many companies, including IBM and Cisco, have successfully used technology to promote employee wellness in the remote work era. These companies offer digital wellness platforms and organize virtual wellness activities, thus fostering a culture of wellness despite the geographical dispersion of their workforce (Anderson, 2020).


In the era of remote work, technology can be a powerful ally in promoting employee wellness. Organizations can support employees' wellness by leveraging digital wellness platforms, virtual communication tools, and health and fitness apps, leading to a more engaged, productive, and resilient workforce.



References

Allen, T. D., Golden, T. D., & Shockley, K. M. (2015). How Effective Is Telecommuting? Assessing the Status of Our Scientific Findings. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 16(2), 40–68. https://doi.org/10.1177/1529100615593273

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Anderson, A. J., Kaplan, S. A., & Vega, R. P. (2015). The impact of telework on emotional experience: When, and for whom, does telework improve daily affective well-being? European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 24(6), 882–897. https://doi.org/10.1080/1359432x.2014.966086


Messenger, J., Vargas Llave, O., Gschwind, L., Boehmer, S., Vermeylen, G., & Wilkens, M. (2017). Working anytime, anywhere: The effects on the world of work.


Gurrin, C., Smeaton, A. F., & Doherty, A. R. (2014). LifeLogging: Personal Big Data. Foundations and Trends® in Information Retrieval, 8(1), 1–125. https://doi.org/10.1561/1500000033


Yassaee, M., Mettler, T., & Winter, R. (2019). Principles for the design of digital occupational health systems. Information and Organization, 29(2), 77–90. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.infoandorg.2019.04.005



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