Leveling Up
3 Ways Workplaces Can Support Employees' New Year's Resolutions
It’s mid-January, a time when new year’s resolutions may already be losing their luster.
Resolutions can be complicated. They allow us to reflect on things we want to improve, areas in which we want to grow, or new things we want to try. Still, surveys tell us that most resolutions fail and many of us probably have examples of ones we started out strong with but let slide after a few weeks as we fell back into old, familiar habits and routines.
Resolutions in the form of unrealistic expectations can set us up for failure, while rigid rules can prime a pendulum to swing back in the other extreme direction. We may shame ourselves for not having more willpower, but when a large majority of resolutions fail, what else is going on?
Thinking Beyond The Individual
Writing this post, I came across countless articles about what individuals can do differently to more successfully stick to their resolutions. There was some good advice in those articles, like setting realistic goals and committing to small changes.
Still, there’s more to the story.
In December, I led a webinar titled “Building a Burnout Prevention Strategy.” Despite a clear webinar description that explained the presentation would focus on what organizations can do to prevent staff burnout, some participants were surprised that I wasn’t focusing on individual self-care as the solution to burnout.
This is because, in American culture, we’re conditioned to believe that the individual is the cause and solution to every problem.
I come from a public health background, and the socio-ecological model is a public health framework that encourages us to consider multiple levels when acting to address public health issues. (And yes, burnout is a public health issue.)
The socio-ecological model includes the individual because a person’s choices and behaviors matter.
It also includes other levels that provide opportunities for intervention, including relationships, environment (i.e. communities and organizations, including most workplaces), and larger societal institutions such as the government and mass media.
When it comes to health, individual factors make a difference.
And…individuals are more likely to succeed in making changes or adopting new habits if they’re supported by those around them.
And…individuals are more likely to adopt healthier habits if the systems they live and work in support those habits.
And…there are institutional, environmental, and societal factors that impact people’s health.
When 80-90% of resolutions fail, it’s not just a matter of almost everyone having poor willpower.
To solve problems and create change, we have to level up and think beyond the individual.
With this in mind, here are a few ways workplaces can support employees in sticking with resolutions and well-being practices—not just for a few weeks, but throughout the year.
Decreased Work Hours
As much as we may not want to admit it, the math isn’t mathing.
People are working 40+ hours a week while also trying to take care of their families and loved ones. (Nearly 75% of employees have caregiving responsibilities).
We’re also expected to get enough sleep and adequate rest, exercise regularly, eat well, be civically engaged, go to the doctor, maintain friendships and attend to social obligations, do the laundry, wash the dishes, carve out time for hobbies, clean the house, keep up the yard, deal with insurance and take care of countless other bits of personal admin.
Who out there feels like they’re failing by not keeping up with it all? Who is struggling to add more to their plate because it’s already overflowing?
A large-scale UK experiment about shorter work weeks found that overall, productivity in participating companies was maintained or even increased with a 4-day work week.
An article about the study reports:
Among the 60-plus companies that participated in the trial, from marketing agencies to financial firms, education services to fish and chip shops, 92% of employers said they would continue with a shorter workweek following the programme – with 30% making the change permanent.
There was another finding from this study: employees in participating companies reported improvements to health and well-being.
Among nearly 3,000 employees, 71% reported feeling reduced levels of burnout; there were also improvements in physical health and wellbeing.
In many cases, firms that participated in the pilot…reported their workers have been able to spend more time with their families, pursue hobbies and take greater personal care.
This isn’t surprising, right? Employees were given more time for rest and life outside of work.
It’s simple math.
And it’s encouraging that in many cases, these improvements in employee health didn’t come at the expense of productivity: both productivity and improved health were attainable together.
While a 4-day work week isn’t achievable for all organizations, there are other ways to decrease work hours and still allow for coverage and service delivery, like shifting to a 35-hour or 32-hour work week and structuring schedules to ensure adequate coverage.
As with any innovation, there will be early and late adopters. We’re already seeing more organizations move to a four-day work week or shorter days, and/or closing fully for periods of time to give staff routine sabbaticals. I expect to see more of this in the future.
Increased Flexibility
If decreasing work hours is not an option for your organization, things like robust PTO and flexible work policies can still support employees in fitting in exercise, mental health care, healthier eating and greater involvement in life outside of work.
I’ve had jobs where none of the overtime I worked was counted, but my ten days of PTO per year was strictly counted. I’ve had jobs where my brain consistently worked overtime even when I was at home and “off the clock.” I’ve had plenty of days where lingering personal responsibilities distracted me from work, but I felt restricted from resolving the distractions, even if that meant I was less focused and less productive at work.
Anyone else?
Shifting away from rigid and often unrealistic beliefs that people can cleanly divide their minds and time into separate spheres of work and home, and allowing for flexibility to live full lives is important to attracting and retaining employees.
Is this something that needs to be managed to ensure fairness and accountability? Yes, but that doesn’t make it impossible. When well-managed, robust PTO and flexible work options, including remote work or hybrid schedules, can positively impact employee health, well-being, and productivity.
Supportive Management
Regardless of an organization’s policies, people management is where the rubber meets the road.
Even if an employee has PTO saved up, they may not use it without encouragement from their supervisor. Even if flexibility is an option, employees may not know that without the conversation being had.
An organization’s approach to people management can make a crucial difference for employees. By effectively leading regular 1-1 meetings and opening up conversations about employees’ resolutions or well-being needs, managers can better support them in getting what they need: whether that’s a shift in their work schedule, support in planning regular PTO, or clarifying options for flexibility (and the expectations that go along with it).
People’s needs related to well-being are diverse and unique. Managers shouldn’t make assumptions about team members’ needs or use a blanket approach thinking it will impact everyone in the same way. Sure, a free gym membership is great, but it may not be appropriate or accessible to everyone.
Get to know your team members, build trust through regular support and communication, and take the lead on opening up conversations to support employees’ health and well-being.
This is a practice that will pay off not just at the new year, but always.
My new year’s resolutions are to build up my savings and travel more, goals that are seemingly at odds. Will I be able to do both? Time will tell.
What are your resolutions or intentions for 2025? Let us know in the comments.
Additional Reading:
Burnout is an occupational phenomenon
Four-day workweek trial: The firms where it didn't work
Leaders’ Guide to Creating a Culture of Care
2025 started out with another major disaster, the L.A. wildfires, and my heart goes out to all affected. For reflections and resources on disaster planning for organizational leaders, revisit this essay from last fall.
I help leaders build work environments that enhance collaboration, engagement, effectiveness and well-being. Visit my website to learn more about my services or schedule a free consultation here.
Love this. I talk about stress a lot with my clients and how it impacts the body, and of course a big piece of the puzzle is learning out to create boundaries with work. The individuals I work with tend to have higher-level roles and shutting down at the end of the day, or not checking in after dinner/before bed are tough habits to break. They somehow feel they owe it to be on 24/7. That's rough.