| We have (nearly) made it through another year. Another year of the COVID-19 pandemic, including the mass release of vaccinations and more recently boosters plus the rise of two variants. 2021 also saw headlines on a wide range of topics besides the pandemic: GameStop stock soared for a stretch, NASA’s Perseverance rover landed on Mars, the Suez Canal was blocked for six days and set off supply chain concerns, the #FreeBritney movement and much more. For Workplace Wellness Insider, our top 10 articles of the year — detailed below — point to a few trends: financial wellness, burnout and return to office. We look forward to diving back into more coverage of these topics and much more in the new year. Be well and we’ll see you in 2022! –Kacey Larsen, Workplace Wellness Insider Editor TOP READS OF 2021 Here’s what workers are thinking, and what they need from their employers, a year into the pandemic. Organizations increase their focus on wellness-oriented office design. Savings shortfalls among retirees underscore need for financial wellness help. Giving your employees space opens a new way of thinking about the workplace. Is the Great Disengagement worse than the Great Resignation? Report: Manager burnout increase suggests big problems for employee wellness. A company that trains teachers faced a major pivot after schools closed last year. Measuring DE&I efforts is key to success, and Salesforce leads by example. The 4 tenets of accounting firm DHG's return-to-work program. Want to increase employee participation in wellness programs? Here are some proven methods. More articles. Visit our website for additional trend stories, research, case studies and more. STAT OF THE WEEK As part of McKinsey & Company’s research on the “Great Attrition,” survey data indicated parents were more likely to have left their jobs than their nonparent counterparts over the past several months. The reasons why are distinct yet clear: Parents rank care for family, workload and working remotely as key factors. RESOURCES OF THE WEEK The Role of the Communicator. In the fall of 2021, Ragan Communications partnered with research consultancy HarrisX to conduct the CEO-Communicators Competencies survey. The findings reveal how CEOs and Chief Communications Officers (CCOs) view the other's role and responsibilities plus what they value most in their interactions. The full report shows where these leaders align and differ. Ragan's Top Case Studies in Employee Communications & Culture. The case studies Ragan Communications has compiled in this book run the gamut of communications challenges in the year of the COVID-19 pandemic—from staying in touch via intranet and email in the age of working from home, to championing diversity and empowerment in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death and the unrest that followed. You’ll discover how dozens of organizations took on unique challenges and thrived. UPCOMING Employee Communications and Culture Conference Feb. 16, 2022 - Virtual How to Improve Your Organization's Mental Health Initiatives & Outcomes
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