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B Corp Leaders on Employee Wellness 

One of the things we’ve learned in this post-pandemic world is the importance of supporting employees in every way possible to promote an equitable and prosperous workplace culture. This month, we wanted to highlight members of the B Corp Community that stand out in creating a positive work environment for their employees

Supporting employee wellbeing, both physically and mentally, is a key aspect of fostering a positive work environment. These efforts can help minimize attrition, improve commitment to your company’s mission and help employees reach their full potential both on and off the job. 

IGP Research Intern Caleb Adams-Hull discussed employee wellness with B Corp Leaders, and members of the IGP community, Chris Floyd, CEO of C.E. Floyd Construction, and Shenna Fitzgerald, Director of Impact and Strategic Communications at Creative Alignments, to get their advice on running a worker-friendly business. 

C.E. Floyd: “We really try to focus on giving people a chance to recharge and take care of themselves so that they're not constantly grinding.”

Chris Floyd emphasizes the importance of helping his employees take time off despite the fast-paced nature of the construction industry. This requires creative team work in order to make sure that there is always enough personnel on site to get work done, but by giving people the flexibility to take time off when needed, Chris has found his teams to be more capable of covering absences when necessary. Additionally, Chris mentioned that a strong team dynamic in the workplace is a fantastic way to improve culture and employee morale. C.E. Floyd embodies the B Corp ideals by combining team-building efforts with acts of service to the community, 

“Activities that you can do that both generate goodwill for the community, that your team members can be proud of being part of and also bond your people together, that is a great win when it comes to [employee] retention, and it fits into the B Corp model.”

Creative Alignments: “When you feel fulfilled at work, you take that home with you to your family and your communities and it radiates out so that happiness at work makes the world a better place.”

Creative Alignments is a people-focused recruitment firm that works hard to cultivate a positive work environment in their clients: employee wellness is at the heart of their business. According to Shenna, a work environment that is conducive to worker wellbeing starts with the company’s purpose. A company that is centered around purpose can attract talent that is passionate about this mission, which creates a strong team dynamic that facilitates buy-in and engagement. This dynamic is further strengthened, Shenna pointed out, by a leader at the head of the organization that helps employees feel comfortable being their full selves in the workplace by leading with empathy, building trust, and embodying the mission that the team is working towards. “Leaders of the company really need to believe, not just have a set of rules or ways they're going to go about things, but believe in leading from the heart,” Shenna said. Creative Alignments has made it their mission to make the world a better place one office at a time, by creating a positive cycle of goodwill that starts at work but spreads throughout the community.

Innovative Approaches to Employee Wellness

Whether you are a Fortune 500 CEO or just getting started, everyone has a role to play in facilitating a healthy and prosperous dynamic in the workplace. We hope this brief discussion of worker wellbeing inspires you to play your part. 

Four day work week

Last year, B Lab US and Canada piloted a four day work week program in their offices based on the 100-80-100 model: workers receive 100% of their salary, work 80% of the hours and 100% of their previous output. After a successful pilot, the organization has made the switch to a 4 day work week permanently, and B Lab Europe has also started a pilot of this program. Amid mounting evidence of the psycological, productivity, and even environmental benefits of reducing working hours, B Lab has made the bold move to break traditional norms that don’t benefit their mission. 

Read their announcement on Linkedin. 

Explore the research on the surprising benefits of a 4 day work week.

Boost your employee engagement survey

The most important step in your company’s journey to center the wellbeing of employees is making informed decisions about what can be improved. By conducting an employee engagement survey, managers can get an understanding of pain points in the workplace and how best to resolve them. In a recent article, the Harvard Business review suggests we rethink the traditional employee engagement survey to make sure that we are getting the most out of this communication channel.

Community events/announcements

Curious about the B Corp Movement? Join us for a roundtable discussion about the certification process featuring Jenn T. Grace, Founder & CEO of Publish Your Purpose, Samantha Williams, Owner of 628 Digital Design, and Gabe Damiani, Founder of Bear Lake Coffee. 

Tune in live on LinkedIn Thursday, September 12 at noon EST.

Join us on Wednesday, September 25th at noon EST for a comprehensive discussion of the materiality assessment process featuring Adam Garfunkel, Partner and Chief Impact Officer at Junxion Strategy.

Moderated by Interim CEO Rebecca Coffey, Garfunkel will discuss the importance of conducting a double materiality assessment, and how to prioritize the most important issues to your stakeholders.

Check out the article that Impact Growth Partners recently posted on this subject on its website.

Interested in becoming a Certified B Corp or learning more about improving your impact? Sign up for a free consultation with one of our consultants.