Podcast Summary: This Is Woman's Work with Nicole Kalil

Episode Title: The Wellness Disconnect with Patricia Grabarek, PhD & Katina Sawyer, PhD
Episode Number: 296
Release Date: April 2, 2025
Host: Nicole Kalil, Bleav
Guests:

• Dr. Patricia Gruberic, Co-founder of Worker Being, Industrial-Organizational Psychologist
• Dr. Katina Sawyer, Professor at the University of Arizona, Expert in Workplace Behavior, Diversity, and Leadership

Introduction

In this enlightening episode of "This Is Woman's Work", host Nicole Kalil delves deep into the complexities of workplace wellness with esteemed guests Dr. Patricia Gruberic and Dr. Katina Sawyer. The discussion centers around the shortcomings of current wellness initiatives and explores foundational strategies for fostering genuinely supportive workplace cultures.

Current State of Workplace Wellness

Nicole opens the conversation by highlighting the paradox of the billion-dollar wellness industry:

• Superficial Initiatives: Despite the proliferation of trendy perks like meditation apps, wellness stipends, and yoga sessions in break rooms, employees continue to grapple with burnout, stress, and toxic work environments.

• Ineffectiveness of Band-Aid Solutions: Dr. Gruberic emphasizes that handing out stress balls or subscribing employees to a meditation app doesn’t address the underlying issues such as unrealistic expectations and lack of support.

  Dr. Patricia Gruberic [03:10]: "Organizations are focusing on these band-aid solutions...people don't have the time or capacity to actually take advantage of those perks."

Four Pillars of Workplace Wellness

Dr. Katina Sawyer introduces the four key components that employees seek in effective workplace wellness programs:

1. Physical Health: Beyond gym memberships, employees need time and resources to manage personal or family health issues.

2. Mental Health: It's not enough to offer telehealth services; workplaces must foster environments where mental health challenges are recognized and openly addressed.

3. Emotional Health: Employees desire workplaces where a broad range of emotions is acceptable, reducing the constant underlying stress that often goes unaddressed.

4. Work-Life Balance: Defined individually, this balance varies from person to person, whether it means more family time, pursuing hobbies, or focusing on career growth.

Dr. Katina Sawyer [04:31]: "People felt like their mental health challenges were recognized in the workplace and that they were able to be open and honest about those and find ways to work around them."

Challenges Faced by Women in Achieving Work-Life Balance

The conversation delves into the unique pressures women face in balancing work and personal life:

• Societal Expectations: Women often internalize conflicting expectations, such as prioritizing family while striving for career advancement, leading to feelings of guilt and diminished work-life balance.

  Dr. Katina Sawyer [08:07]: "Women are much more likely to be targeted by products, ads, things that people try to sell you to feel like you're imbalanced."

• Leadership Role Modeling: Dr. Gruberic points out that women leaders who struggle with balance can inadvertently set unrealistic standards for their teams.

  Dr. Patricia Gruberic [10:18]: "Women tend to score lower and tend to feel less balanced...because of what the societal pressures to do kind of everything as a woman."

Outdated Leadership Norms Hindering Wellness

Nicole and the guests identify several outdated leadership norms that negatively impact employee wellness:

1. Ideal Worker Norm: The expectation that the ideal employee devotes 100% of their time and energy to work, leaving no room for personal life.

   Dr. Katina Sawyer [17:24]: "The ideal worker is someone who has no other distractions outside of work, no life outside of work, and just 100% of their time and energy goes towards work."

2. Superhero Leaders: Leaders are often expected to be stoic, never showing vulnerability or admitting mistakes, which hinders authentic connections and trust within teams.

   Dr. Patricia Gruberic [20:22]: "If we can break away from that norm and become more vulnerable and actually share our authentic selves and share when we make mistakes, that's a norm too, that really needs to die."

3. Overemphasis on Long Hours: The persistence of the 40-hour workweek, despite evidence supporting more flexible or compressed work schedules that enhance productivity and employee satisfaction.

   Nicole Kalil [19:31]: "The 40 Hour Workweek was something established in the mid-1900s...the idea that we would have to work the same amount of hours today...is ludicrous."

Strategies for Building Supportive Workplace Cultures

The guests propose actionable strategies to cultivate healthier workplace environments:

• Individualized Support: Tailoring support to meet each employee’s unique needs rather than applying a one-size-fits-all approach.

  Dr. Patricia Gruberic [23:12]: "The way you're treating your employees is about that person, what their needs are, being flexible for them and what they specifically are dealing with."

• Authentic Leadership: Encouraging leaders to be open, vulnerable, and authentic fosters trust and stronger relationships within teams.

• Creating Subcultures: Empowering mid-level leaders to develop positive team subcultures that align with overarching organizational wellness goals.

  Dr. Katina Sawyer [24:33]: "Making sure that you're in touch with those folks to help them learn some of the tips that we put out there...creating a team culture that is going to be positive."

• Equitable Approaches: Ensuring equity in support by addressing individual needs without fostering perceptions of favoritism.

  Dr. Katina Sawyer [28:47]: "It's about the equity in the approach and not necessarily equal activities that result from those meetings."

Empowering Employees to Advocate for Themselves

The discussion emphasizes the importance of employees taking an active role in their own wellness by:

• Advocacy: Encouraging employees to communicate their specific needs to leaders rather than relying solely on top-down solutions.

  Dr. Patricia Gruberic [31:21]: "You have to advocate what's best for you. As much as you can advocate for yourself, the better that you're going to have."

• Person-Centered Planning: Leaders collaborating with employees to co-create wellness solutions that are tailored to individual circumstances.

Future Trends in Workplace Wellness

Looking ahead, Dr. Sawyer predicts a shift towards more strategic and personalized approaches to workplace wellness:

• Reduced Reliance on Trendy Perks: Moving away from generic wellness programs that don’t address core issues.

• Holistic and Integrated Strategies: Developing comprehensive wellness strategies that encompass physical, mental, emotional health, and work-life balance.

  Dr. Katina Sawyer [33:41]: "Organizations are starting to recognize that they're not solving for the problem...strategic piece around wellness...is going to become more and more of a trend."

Conclusion

Nicole wraps up the episode by reinforcing the core message:

"Workplace wellness isn't about more perks, more policies, or more stuff. It's about leadership. Yes, from those with positional authority, but also from those willing to lead from within to advocate for change and to push for a culture that actually supports its people."

She encourages listeners to prioritize meaningful changes over superficial wellness initiatives, highlighting that true wellness stems from supportive leadership and authentic workplace cultures.

Key Takeaways:

• Superficial wellness perks are inadequate for combating burnout and toxic work environments.
• True workplace wellness requires addressing physical, mental, emotional health, and work-life balance through authentic leadership.
• Women face unique challenges in achieving work-life balance due to societal expectations and leadership role models.
• Outdated leadership norms like the ideal worker and superhero leaders must be reformed to foster healthier workplaces.
• Individualized support and equitable approaches are essential for effective workplace wellness.
• Employees must advocate for their own wellness needs, while leaders create environments that encourage and support these advocacies.
• Future trends point towards strategic, personalized wellness programs over generic, trendy solutions.

For more insights and strategies on creating a thriving workplace, check out "Leading for Wellness: How to Create a Team Culture Where Everyone Thrives" by Dr. Patricia Gruberic and Dr. Katina Sawyer, available at WorkerBeing.com.