Well at Work is a community collaboration between Deloitte and Zilveren Kruis. Using a robust and validated research model developed by TNO, this partnership has launched the Well at Work Monitor – a groundbreaking, actionable tool designed to improve workplace wellbeing for the benefit of individuals, teams, and organisations. These benefits relate to the health and energy levels of people, and ultimately to the improvement of team and organisational performance. Deloitte is walking the walk, by implementing the monitor within its own workforce.
Zilveren Kruis is a leading player in the Dutch health insurance market. The organisation’s mission is ‘To bring health closer for everyone’, which is reflected in everything it does – including its attitude towards its own workforce. Zilveren Kruis takes a holistic and preventative approach to health that goes beyond physical and mental aspects, to embrace purpose, safety, financial security, relationships, the environment (social and physical), and individual needs. It’s fair to say the organisation is ahead of the curve when it comes to practising wellbeing-at-work principles, and therefore presents a sophisticated ‘test’ environment in which to apply the Monitor.
Zilveren Kruis introduced the Well at Work Monitor on an opt-in basis to complement its existing health and employee engagement initiatives. The aim was to provide a focused approach to workplace wellbeing, and was willingly adopted by 27 teams (400 people) for this first phase. Zilveren Kruis already had ongoing initiatives targeting individual health, team dynamics, leadership, and organisational culture, and saw the application of the Monitor and the resultant teamwork as a way of creating a supportive environment to reinforce healthy behaviours.
The Well at Work Monitor was introduced in March 2024, following a successful pilot with two teams in 2023. As a survey tool, the Monitor allows teams to assess their wellbeing and identify areas for improvement. It provides immediate feedback to individuals, and generates collective insights for team discussions – discussions that are designed to facilitate conversations about wellbeing, and encourage teams to take small, practical steps to enhance their work environment.
Despite being in the early stages of implementation, the Monitor has already provided valuable insights for the whole organisation. For instance, with Zilveren Kruis being a busy place to work, the Monitor helped identify that some staff needed help in keeping energy levels up throughout the day. This finding led to the introduction of ‘health breaks’ – 15-minute exercise sessions designed to boost energy and engagement during the workday. All meetings are restricted to 45 minutes already, with a minimum of 15 minutes before the next one can start. Health breaks can therefore easily be scheduled between meetings, as desired.
Across team discussions, subgroups focus on the tangible, not the theoretical. For example, some have looked at practicalities for improving social safety, by complimenting and including others more. Other regular topics include job satisfaction; linking personal energy to jobs and task allocation; balancing physical and mental welfare with work demands; anticipating forthcoming work challenges; and staying connected when both in and out of the office.
These sessions and suggestions help create breathing space, reduce stress and increase productivity. The new exercise breaks take that notion a step further, and have been well-received, enjoying significant participation both in-office and online.
The Monitor has been met positively by employees, who appreciate the immediate, personalised feedback it delivers (via spidergram), and the structured team sessions it suggests. By providing focused insights and fostering team discussions, the Monitor is helping create a healthier, happier, more engaged workforce.
The tool’s early success demonstrates the importance of a holistic, data-driven approach to workplace health. The discussion sessions not only address wellbeing, but also strengthen team cohesion and psychological safety, by fostering open discussion about shared challenges. This bodes well for a broader adoption of the Monitor across the business, which in turn will provide more comprehensive data. Already, the tool has demonstrated that Zilveren Kruis’s existing wellbeing-at-work strategies are successful, and the value of the Monitor feedback allows fine-tuning and focus for future initiatives.
For more details on The Wellbeing Community and how the Well at Work Monitor can help your organisation, contact Egon Hoppe or Maureen Berkhout.