Post-pandemic, employees have experienced record-high stress and burnout and are increasingly attracted to organizations with cultures that support well-being at work. A 2024 Gallup survey indicates that the percentage of employees who strongly agree that their organization cares about their overall well-being has plunged from 49% in 2020 to 21% in 2024, while a previous survey found that improving well-being and culture rated much higher than increasing compensation among the things “quiet quitters” would like to change about their work.
How “Carewashing” Alienates Employees
The perils of superficial wellness benefits.
June 10, 2024
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Summary.
Too many organizations with unsustainable “work hard, play hard” cultures believe that checking the well-being box by offering mindfulness training or yoga classes qualifies them as having a positive and safe culture when, in fact, they’re merely “carewashing.” Like the more familiar term greenwashing, carewashing is derived from whitewashing: covering up or putting a misleading spin on a failure to meet some commitment, stated claim, or standard. At a time when employee well-being has been unequivocally tied to organizational performance and yet workers are historically unhappy, leaders should do everything in their power to provide healthy, motivating workplaces. The authors present four strategies to safeguard against carewashing.