It can be easier to rely on natural office interactions when the entire work force is located in one place. These natural daily interactions help foster a sense of community and belonging among all staff, regardless of their position within the organization. In a hybrid model, companies must be more intentional about creating opportunities for staff to connect. Working from home can seem transactional where the only times to connect are those 3-5 minutes while waiting for others to join the Zoom meeting. Or, in a Teams or Slack chat that isn’t much different from texting. Feeling disconnected or isolated are two contributors to low employee morale. To maintain and improve morale, companies should consider adding yoga and mindfulness sessions to their workday. Hybrid yoga and mindfulness sessions allow staff to bond with each other, even if they decide to keep their cameras off while doing the physical practice.

Corporate yoga is a cost-effective way to boost employee morale.

What is employee morale?

Morale is a factor in cultivating a workplace culture that is positive and productive for all staff, regardless of their title, tenure or spot on the org chart. Nectar HR defines employee morale as a measure of how your team members feel about their work environment and their role in it. Employees who have good morale are characterized as having:

  • Motivation – approaching their work with enthusiasm and a solution-oriented approach to individual and team challenges; striving to perform their job to the best of their ability
  • Engagement – having a strong connection to their work and collaboration with their team; in a hybrid environment this might present as sharing and engaging with regular updates on project boards and virtual meeting spaces
  • Commitment – committing not only to stay and grow with the company, but committing to the values, mission and vision of the company
  • Low absenteeism – not only using their PTO to help recharge as needed, but a lower number of absences per year due to burnout or dissatisfaction with their work or team dynamics

The workforce has changed in the past 3 years and people have begun to reevaluate their future with a company based on more than just superficial perks and salary. People want to feel like humans at work, they want to feel a sense of community and belonging, which is especially true in a hybrid setting where communication, connection and collaboration are in the spotlight daily.

So, how does yoga help boost employee morale?

  1. It creates a culture of care – It’s one thing to encourage employees to take PTO as a reaction to overwhelm but it’s something different to build mindfulness and space to breathe into the workday. Imagine a team of people who take leave to proactively recharge several times a year versus those who take leave monthly to recover from their workload.
  2. It promotes whole-person health – Corporate yoga encourages employees to focus on their health from a 360-degree perspective. Sure, there are benefits for the organization’s bottom line (productivity, lower insurance rates, lower absenteeism) but companies will only truly thrive when their workforce is healthy. Imagine a team dynamic where everyone is feeling their best.
  3. It helps attract new talent – Jobs that cite well-being, flexibility and culture get more applications. This is especially true if someone left a job that didn’t provide wellness benefits. Imagine a company culture that prioritizes building a healthy workforce: people over profits.
  4. It creates space for mindfulness during the workday – Taking a break to process new information, a moment of reflection for conflict resolution, time to breathe before that next meeting. These are all ways that yoga adds mindfulness to the workday. Imagine space for self-care and a break to focus on the present moment during a busy workday.

The workforce as we all knew it shifted in early 2019. Gone are the days when companies could preach “work life balance” but not practice that refrain. Today, employees are more likely to scrutinize companies for their health benefits and hybrid wellbeing and mental health services than they are to focus on salary alone.

Corporate yoga is a cost-effective way to boost employee morale: increase motivation, reduce absenteeism, promote healthy work-life balance and space to recharge, bolster team collaboration and solidify commitment to the company’s mission, values and vision (to name a few benefits!).

To learn more about corporate yoga and to book a consultation with me, click here.