At a time where personal freedoms and individual rights are increasingly under threat, many feel a disconcerting loss of control over their own lives. This erosion of autonomy extends beyond the public sphere, seeping into our workplaces and affecting our daily experiences. However, amidst these challenges, a promising concept is emerging: wellbeing autonomy in the workplace.

While the term “wellbeing autonomy” may be unfamiliar, this evolving approach offers a beacon of hope – a way for individuals to reclaim some control over their life satisfaction through workplace wellness. As organizations think about employee engagement strategies, wellbeing autonomy stands at the forefront, potentially revolutionizing how we approach employee quality of life.

To grasp its potential impact, let’s take a quick look at the well-documented effects of work autonomy on employee wellbeing, which serves as the foundation for this new approach.

Freedom at Work

Research has consistently shown that autonomy in the workplace correlates positively with a range of beneficial outcomes. Employees with higher levels of autonomy at work report increased job satisfaction, stronger organizational commitment, higher levels of work engagement, improved social wellbeing, and better general health.¹ Moreover, autonomy has been found to have a negative relationship with burnout, a priority concern in today’s high-pressure work environments.²

The mechanism behind these positive outcomes is intriguing. Studies suggest that autonomy nurtures a harmonious psychological passion for work, which in turn mediates the relationship between autonomy and various wellbeing outcomes.³ This harmonious passion is characterized by a balanced and flexible engagement with work.⁴

Given these compelling links between work autonomy and employee wellbeing, forward-thinking organizations are extending the principle of work autonomy to employee wellness, introducing the concept of wellbeing autonomy. This approach applies the empowering principles of work autonomy to holistic health management. Wellbeing autonomy trusts employees to be the architects of their own wellbeing, providing resources, tools, and support rather than prescriptive programs. It acknowledges that wellbeing is deeply personal and varies across individuals, cultures, and life stages.⁵

The Psychology of Wellbeing Autonomy

Wellbeing autonomy at work could offer a profound sense of empowerment, control, and self-determination. In a world where many aspects of our lives feel increasingly out of our hands, the ability to shape our own wellbeing journey can be incredibly powerful. This autonomy taps into core psychological needs:

1. Self-Determination: According to Self-Determination Theory, autonomy is one of the three basic psychological needs essential for optimal functioning and wellbeing. By giving employees control over their wellness choices, organizations satisfy this fundamental need.
2. Intrinsic Motivation: When individuals have the freedom to choose activities they find inherently enjoyable or meaningful, they’re more likely to engage in them consistently and derive greater benefit.
3. Sense of Ownership: Wellbeing autonomy provides a sense of ownership over one’s life satisfaction. This ownership can lead to increased commitment and sustained behavior change.
4. Psychological Safety: By trusting employees to make their own wellbeing decisions, organizations create an environment of psychological safety, which is critical for mental health and overall wellness.
5. Reduced Stigma: The flexibility of wellbeing autonomy allows employees to address their unique needs without fear of judgment, potentially reducing stigma around mental health and other wellness issues.

Customizable Wellbeing Benefits

Picture a company that provides a versatile wellbeing budget, allowing staff to invest in anything from sound bath therapy sessions to wilderness survival courses, from learning the art of bonsai for stress relief to astrophotography workshops. Envision an open marketplace of wellbeing options, curated yet diverse, where employees can explore and choose services that resonate with their individual needs and interests.

The beauty of this approach lies in its adaptability. As employees’ lives and needs evolve, so too can their wellbeing strategies. A new parent might shift focus from intense workout routines to family-oriented activities, while a pre-retiree could pivot towards classes on purpose and meaning in later life, or a neurodiverse individual might prioritize noise-cancelling headphones and sensory-friendly workspace modifications. This fluidity ensures that wellbeing remains relevant and engaging throughout an employee’s unique life journey.

Case Study: Forma

Forma, a benefits platform, has emerged as a powerhouse of personalized employee benefits, embodying the principles of wellbeing autonomy to an unprecedented degree. Forma’s approach illustrates several key aspects of wellbeing autonomy:

1. Diverse Choices: Forma allows member employees to choose benefits that are meaningful to them, ranging from pet insurance to Lego sets, ski passes to gardening supplies, and even concert tickets and nanny services. This diversity reflects the understanding that wellness is deeply personal and varies across individuals.
2. High Engagement: Members of the platform report a 97% participation rate in their Lifestyle Spending Accounts (LSA) among employees. This high engagement rate demonstrates the appeal of autonomy in wellness choices.
3. Administrative Efficiency: Some companies using Forma have reduced HR administration time by 80% and cut employee inquiry volume in half. This efficiency potentially frees up resources to focus on other critical engagement initiatives such as nurturing belonging and creating a more inclusive workplace culture.
4. Employee Satisfaction: Some organizations using Forma have reported that employees rank it as their #1 benefit offering. This highlights how wellbeing autonomy can significantly impact employee satisfaction and retention.
5. Cultural Shift: Forma’s model enhances individual wellbeing while enabling customization across diverse workforces. Operating in 111 countries, it supports the implementation of wellbeing autonomy in various cultural contexts, demonstrating how this approach can be adapted to meet the unique needs of global organizations.

The success of platforms like Forma underscores the potential of wellbeing autonomy to revolutionize workplace wellness programs, making them more competitive in attracting and retaining top talent.

Wellbeing Autonomy for Diverse Workforces

Wellbeing autonomy represents the next step in organizational health, acknowledging that the health “trifecta” of mind, body, and spirit extends far beyond the workplace and varies dramatically across global contexts. This approach embraces the inherent diversity of wellness preferences, acknowledging the undeniable influence of local economies, available services, cultural norms, and environmental factors on personal health choices.

To effectively offer flexible, personalized wellness options, organizations can empower their global workforce to pursue wellbeing in ways that are truly relevant to their lives outside of work. Consider the following approaches:

• Cultural Assessment: Conduct a thorough assessment of the cultural values and norms within the organization and the broader societal context. In India, where women’s safety is a pressing concern, employees might use their wellness budgets for self-defense classes or safe ride-sharing subscriptions for personal transportation. This assessment can involve surveys, focus groups, and in-depth interviews with employees at various levels to understand local safety concerns and preferred solutions.
• Flexible Framework: Develop a wellbeing autonomy framework that accommodates different cultural interpretations of autonomy and wellbeing. In Japan, where there’s a strong emphasis on group harmony, the framework might allow for both individual activities like personal meditation apps and group-oriented options such forest bathing (shinrin-yoku) retreats that employees can participate in after work hours.
• Lifestyle Spending Accounts: Implement LSAs as a tool for implementing wellbeing autonomy. In a country like the United Arab Emirates, where extreme heat limits outdoor activities, LSAs could allow employees to invest in home gym equipment, air purifications systems, or even travel to cooler climates for active vacations, acknowledging the local climate challenges.
• Communication Strategy: Tailor your communication about wellbeing autonomy to resonate with organizational values while being sensitive to the cultural values of your workforce. In the United States, where individual achievement is often celebrated, messaging might focus on personal growth and self-improvement. In contrast, communications in Brazil might emphasize how personal wellness contributes to family and community wellbeing, reflecting the country’s more collectivist culture.
• Leadership Alignment: Ensure that leadership understands and embodies the principles of wellbeing autonomy in a culturally appropriate manner. In Germany, where there’s a strong emphasis on work-life balance, leaders might openly discuss their use of wellbeing benefits for hobbies or family time, setting an example of maintaining balance between work and personal life.
• Continuous Feedback and Adaptation: Implement systems for ongoing feedback and be prepared to adapt your wellbeing autonomy initiatives based on cultural nuances that emerge over time. In a rapidly developing country like Vietnam, where lifestyle trends and service availability are constantly evolving, regular surveys might reveal shifting preferences from traditional practices like tai chi to newer trends like CrossFit or mindfulness apps, allowing the options to stay relevant to employees’ changing needs and interests.

The Future of Work[place Wellbeing]

The future of workplace wellbeing is here, and it’s autonomous. The question is no longer whether to consider wellbeing autonomy, but how to implement it effectively in a way that respects and leverages cultural diversity while advancing organizational health and employee wellbeing. This approach is not without its challenges. Organizations must navigate the fine line between offering guidance and respecting individual choice. It’s important to recognize that wellbeing autonomy doesn’t exist in isolation. It’s part of a larger organizational ecosystem and must be integrated thoughtfully with other systems and processes.

Empowering employees to manage their own wellbeing gives them control over their holistic health, potentially offsetting limitations they may face in other areas of life. As we continue to navigate global challenges to individual rights and freedoms, the workplace has an opportunity – and perhaps a responsibility – to be a sanctuary of personal choice and empowerment.

References

1. University of Birmingham. (2017). Autonomy in the workplace has positive effects on well-being and job satisfaction, study finds. ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/04/170424215501.htm ↩︎
2. Moss, J. (2021). Beyond burned out. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2021/02/beyond-burned-out ↩︎
3. Clausen, T., Pedersen, L. R. M., Andersen, M. F., Theorell, T., & Madsen, I. E. H. (2021). Job autonomy and psychological well-being: A linear or a non-linear association? European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 31(3), 395–405. https://doi.org/10.1080/1359432X.2021.1972973 ↩︎
4. Zhou, E. (2020). The “Too-Much-of-a-Good-Thing” effect of job autonomy and its explanation mechanism. Psychology, 11, 299-313. ↩︎
5. Peng, M. (2024). The secret to workplace wellness programs? Worker autonomy. Time. https://time.com/charter/6565105/the-secret-to-workplace-wellness-programs-worker-autonomy/ ↩︎