Wellbeing initiatives for Generation X employees
Sandwiched between Baby boomers and Millennials, Generation X employees now account for a significant amount of your intellectual capital. Globally, this generation holds more than half of all leadership roles.
With an average of 20 years’ workplace experience, they value more independence on the job than younger generations. And the closer these workers get to age 55, the more their knowledge becomes invaluable to your organisation and to your customers. Although not strictly digital natives, Generation X employees are digitally savvy and comfortable leveraging technology in the workplace.
Focusing on health
Proactive about their health and fitness, it’s not uncommon to find many triathletes and ultra-marathon runners in this cohort. Yet, just as many of your Generation X employees are likely to face the health issues related to their age. These include menopause, weight gain, obesity, and chronic diseases such as diabetes.
In terms of your wellness initiatives, offering them opportunities to ‘self–care’ will resonate with them.
- Encourage healthy behaviours through health education and webinars.
- Offer wellness assessments and health screening at your workplace so they don’t have to take time out of their busy days to attend appointments.
- Support group fitness initiatives such as sponsored runs or walks to raise money for important causes while they get fit and enjoy the camaraderie of the group.
Flexibility
Given the amount of juggling Generation X employees need to do around their children, elderly parents and their work commitments, it’s important to enable your employees to fit their work hours around school days, doctor’s appointments, and school holidays.
Develop family-friendly policies in the form of flexible working options such as condensed hours, flexible start times and remote working to help with childcare and other carer needs.
Leadership and learning
Experienced and solid leaders and managers, your Generation X employees value opportunities for continued professional development and lifelong learning.
- Encourage your Gen X employees to mentor others.
- Support post graduate education and other professional development opportunities.
- Ask them to lead the next strategic planning committee or other new projects and give them the freedom to innovate and try out new approaches.
Financial protection
With significant financial commitments, increasing financial pressures can potentially leave this generation with financial anxiety and distress. This cohort typically has many financial worries including mortgages, school fees and child care costs.
- Offer initiatives supporting financial health such as generous parental or carers leave.
- Introduce financial education in the workplace to help them manage their money, and plan for the future to boost retirement savings
- Offer income protection insurances to provide peace of mind that their families will be well looked after should anything happen to them.
Rewards and benefits
With their considerable financial commitments, competitive pay and benefits are of high importance to Generation X employees. And although money isn’t their biggest motivator, it’s definitely a factor that keeps them from job hopping especially considering their stage in life, and their many responsibilities.
Healthy wellbeing initiatives for Gen X employees
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Before you roll out your own wellbeing initiatives for Generation X employees, make sure you survey all your staff to find out what they really want. You can read about Millennials wellbeing needs in our previous post.
Segment the survey findings into generation groupings as the basis for your plan.
Launch your employee wellbeing initiatives with Flare
Use Flare’s employee wellbeing services to enhance your employees’ overall health and wellbeing. With Flare, you can also give your employees access to financial products with attractive rates and help them to better manage their overall financial health.
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