Meditation and mindfulness have proven benefits for employees in terms of physical and mental health, as well as productivity. In fact, research proves that few programs can offer such tangible evidence of improved workplace outcomes as meditating. In light of COVID-19 and all the extra challenges people are facing, meditation can offer many benefits to employees.
A Proven Workplace Booster
Decades of statistics and data now confirm the effectiveness of meditation in the workplace.
In 1983, a chemical manufacturing firm instituted a meditation practice for employees, consisting of 20 minutes before work and 20 minutes in the afternoon. Over the next three years, they saw some impressive results:
- Profit rose by 520%
- Quality control increased by 240%
- Productivity rose by 120%
- Absenteeism dropped by 85%
- Sick days fell by 76%
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Plenty of other studies over the past 25 years have confirmed these types of findings about the value of meditation in the workplace, including:
- General Mills found that 80% of workers who participated in a meditation or stress reduction program improved their decision-making ability.
- A Stanford University School of Medicine study revealed that meditation can lead to a 30% reduction in stress-related symptoms.
- A study conducted in the Netherlands found that mindfulness practices improve creativity and problem-solving.
Arizona State University also published a list of the benefits for employees of meditation in the workplace, which include improved focus, heightened creativity, better mood, less stress, and strengthened relationships.
Meditation Works—Even Virtually
Employers can offer virtual meditation classes and workshops to help remote teams tap into these benefits as well.
While it may seem that meditation training would work best in an office with a room set aside for it, there are effective ways for employers to offer meditation benefits to workers at home as well. The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) reported recently on how an employer’s meditation offerings can help both workers and organizations alike, particularly during COVID-19 and remote work.
One organization successfully implementing meditation is LogMeIn, a connectivity services provider with 4,000 employees. Offering virtual meditation classes over the company’s video meeting platform, LogMeIn also records the session so people can meditate at a time that works best for them. The company’s director of global talent acquisition operations told SHRM that offering meditation classes during the pandemic has been “invaluable for their employees.”
SHRM also pointed out that security technology company Okta made its meditation offering available for people working from home as well as in the office by investing in a global partnership with the meditation app Headspace. Okta subsidizes 12-month subscriptions for its employees who want to use the app.
Show Results to Get Buy-In
For managers who are interested in obtaining buy-in from human resources and leadership for introducing meditation benefits, it’s helpful to show the results. An article in Greater Good Magazine—published through the Greater Good Science Center at the University of California, Berkeley—explains the importance of being able to build a strong case for the program’s benefits in advance.
The article shares the perspective of Golbie Kamarei, who helped bring meditation benefits to the financial services industry. Kamarei succeeded in her mission in part by collecting over 500 positive employee testimonials about the power of her meditation program. She also collected quantitative data from employees to boost the power of her message. By surveying employees who had test-driven the program, she found that:
- 91% believe it positively adds to the culture
- 88% would recommend it to a colleague
- 66% experience less stress or are better able to manage stress
- 63% are better able to manage themselves at work
- 60% experience increased focus, mental resilience, and better decision-making
- 52% better manage relationships with peers at work
- 46% experience increased innovation and creativity
Employers can use a similar tactic in gathering data from a trial run of a meditation program to help justify its continued use. Or, they can start with research and data from other organizations that have already implemented successful programs.
Stay Mindful
Even when times are challenging, stress doesn’t have to be a given for employees to get the job done. By offering teams the option to try out the benefits of meditation and giving them an effective way to relieve pressure, you’ll likely find that you get back much more than you give.
FlexJobs has been a leader in the remote workplace for 14 years. For advice as you manage and support your remote teams, check out our employer resource articles for more tips. Or, if you’re looking for expert guidance on remote work, get in touch with us today.
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