In this episode, Natalie and Shanté take a hard look at what wellness in the workplace really means in 2025. Spoiler: it’s not bubble baths, yoga sessions, or sporadic wellness emails. It’s about addressing the real stressors employees face daily and rethinking what effective workplace wellness looks like — beyond surface-level perks.Episode Highlights:Wellness Fatigue is Real: Employers rushed to implement wellness programs post-2020, but many initiatives felt like one-off tactics rather than part of a meaningful strategy. Yoga sessions and mobile barbers are great, but are they actually meeting employee needs? Natalie and Shanté break down why so many wellness programs missed the mark.35% Productivity Drop from Chronic Stress: Shanté shares a striking stat: workers dealing with chronic stress or trauma can experience up to a 35% decrease in productivity. In today’s world of non-stop news cycles, layoffs, and global uncertainty, understanding the link between wellbeing and performance is non-negotiable.The Employer’s Real Role in Employee Wellbeing: Let’s be clear: employers are not responsible for fixing every employee’s life. But they are responsible for creating psychologically safe workplaces and realistic workloads. If people feel overwhelmed, unsupported, or uncertain about expectations, productivity and morale will plummet.Stop Playing Wellness Darts: Throwing random perks at employees and hoping they stick is not a strategy. Wellness needs to be operationalized and integrated into the flow of work itself — not treated as an add-on or afterthought.Key Takeaways:Focus your wellness strategy on what employees need to be well at work, not outside of it.Prioritize psychological safety and manageable workloads as your main contributions to employee wellbeing.Be honest and transparent about workplace realities. Trust is foundational.Check in with your people regularly and act on their feedback — not just for engagement scores, but for real improvement.Skip the fluff and build meaningful, sustainable practices reflecting your workplace culture.Favorite Quote of the Episode: “If you don’t consider people’s humanity, we’ll keep getting headlines of people getting laid off. And if you think your people aren’t enough to drive your business goals, you’ve already lost.” — Natalie NorfusFollow & Connect with us:Follow Natalie Norfus on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalienorfus/. Follow Shante Gordon on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shantegordon/. Book a consultation with The Norfus Firm: https://thenorfusfirm.com/. Follow What’s the DEIL on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatsthedeil/. Follow What’s the DEIL on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@whatsthedeil. If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and leave a review! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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