Interview to Retirement: TEN Employee Health Considerations From An Employee

I have been in the workforce for 2 full decades. I have had first jobs, side gigs, passerby’s, hell no’s, and a career. I have volunteered, worked in community health, state and federal buildings, for profit healthcare systems, nonprofit, and academia. I have worked in every level of care within the healthcare system from residential, inpatient, day treatment, in-home, case management, and outpatient. This is not a “look at me,” this introduction is perspective taking. I purposely worked in all of these places. I was not a job jumper, I was an explorer to begin to deeply feel and understand what healthcare is going through in these first 2 decades of my career so I can best serve my patients, their families, and fellow employees my next two decades in my career.

Here are some considerations.

1. Employee health should be considered from interview to retirement.

2. People deserve respect whether they are hired by your company or not. People wanting and willing to work are important to the greater good and greater functioning of our world. They are essential, in fact.

   1. It’s mutual interviewing. People are running themselves like a business now and they recognize their worth more than ever. How have you as a company adjusted to this workforce divorcing grind culture?

3. Showing respect for those who have been in jobs for 10, 20, 30, 40 years. Some people can’t make it 2 weeks. This is no small feat. As system symptoms of ageism is at an all-time high, we must consider and reflect how we treat our experienced and aging workforce. What policies or procedures are in place for your aging workforce?

4. The shift from the past view of “live to work” to the future view of “work to live” will be an important one to note.

   1. These employees will be interviewing you as much as you are them.

   2. The seasoned employees won’t stay if they aren’t treated well. They will find other jobs and are qualified to do so. Recruiters are contacting employees (i.e., especially your most valued) for opportunities.

   3. Productivity and Data are important to keep systems running yet if it’s the primary focus, please know that employees feel and know this. Especially in human services, we are NOT numbers. Our patients, families, employees, etc. None of us are numbers. We are valued. With this portion being stated, how are employees treated that do not meet producitivity standards? First office? Habit? What support are they given?

5. “We appreciate you,” isn’t done with words. It’s done with actions. It’s done with review of policies, procedures, DEI initiatives, respect for employees and staff mutually. My favorite quote my mother taught me very young by Maya Angelou, “I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Have you considered how people feel around your establishment? Interviewees, new employees, seasoned employees, or retiring employees?

6. Before a company hires outside consultants who know little to nothing about what you do on an everyday basis, consider asking your workforce for ideas. They’re all the consultants you need for an initial review. This goes for management, as well. Meetings where there are only managers continues to baffle me. Especially Quality Improvement, Performance Review, Policies and Procedures, etc. There should be a direct care and administrative voice. Just as there should be at least one patient voice.

7. If you are plastering Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) or Equal Opportunity Employer on your websites or applications, please make sure to back that up for underserved or underrepresented populations. Please educate yourself on: “tokenism.”

8. Hiring an employee health specialist who has no legal background or legal investment. Each healthcare system I have worked for, their employee health team had legal experience (i.e., paralegal, lawyers, etc.). They have not done the work. They have not experienced the day to day. How does that sit with you?

9. Encourage Employee Resource Groups (ERG) not for a DEI checklist but to actively engage in systemic change. Encourage the ideas, freedom of thoughts, and sharing information. Connection.

10. Ask your employees if they speak freely (i.e., of course that means professional and appropriate, yet can they speak HONESTLY). Do they feel they can? Who feels safe to talk to? Who do they go to when concerns arise. The covert culture is what I have notices increases the chance of damage for employee health.

Again: These are considerations from one employee in healthcare. If you help one, you help millions. How are you helping innovate the healthcare system for the next wave of employees (those being interview, those entering seasoned states, and those moving towards retirement).

Evolve and Heal On, Healthcare System.
An Employee