Hemisphere | Employee Wellbeing Service | UX Design Project

Introduction

The pandemic forced millions of earners in various corporate enterprises and government agencies to shift to a work-from-home environment. This sudden shift to a new working paradigm affected the Productivity and Social Connectivity of the employees. Mental exhaustion, burnout, and deteriorating workplace dynamics became regular complaints of employees to the management.

In this project, I explore the effects of work-from-home experience on Productivity and Personal Relationships and develop a design intervention to enable a smoother working experience for hard-working men and women.

Design Process

Desk Research

Employee Wellbeing

For a business to succeed, its employees must be fit and healthy. The health of your employees is the determining factor in great workplace productivity.

Health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being. People must have a balanced diet, exercise regularly, and get enough sleep to live a healthy life. They must also live in a stress-free environment and have good hygiene.

For a business to succeed, its employees must be fit and healthy. The health of your employees is the determining factor in great workplace productivity.

Health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being. People must have a balanced diet, exercise regularly, and get enough sleep to live a healthy life. They must also live in a stress-free environment and have good hygiene.

Employee Health

Employee health is a term used to describe the overall health of an organisation’s employees. It encompasses all aspects and dimensions of health and wellness, including physical and mental health.

Employee health plays a direct role in the company's overall success. It determines how well a company is equipped to face adversity and overcome various challenges.

Encouraging good health among your employees is very important. Doing so will greatly increase productivity and help your organisation thrive. Your employees' overall well-being will also show.

Benefits of Healthy Workforce

1. Increased Productivity
2. Reduced Absenteeism
3. Reduced Healthcare Costs
4. Improved Work Culture
5. Enhanced Company Image
6. Increased Work Satisfaction
7. Reduced Workplace Stress
8. Increased Job Retention Rate
9. Better Workplace Safety
10. Increased Employee Engagement
11. Reduced Employee Turnover

Issues with Wellness Programs

Employee wellness programs are popular for a good reason — people love getting their employees to exercise more or think about their eating habits — and assume this will translate into healthier employees.

A wellness program can keep employees healthy in the long term but can not transform the individual in a stipulated amount of time.

Wellness programs can be fun but aren’t necessarily the best choice for improving employee health.

Employee Assistance Program

Work is only one of the places where your employees experience stress. Marriages break apart, finances become tight, a car accident results in injuries and stress, and an unexpected lawsuit can break someone down. It spills over into the workplace. An employee assistance program can help your employees find a therapist, a financial planner, or a lawyer. These things can reduce stress in the workplace, as can an employee financial wellness program, for instance.

Proper training, investigation, and response to bullying can make your workplace a better place, which in turn improves employee health.

Issues with Work From Home

Mental health issues

• Isolation
• Discomfort
• Dependency
• Friendship
• Chronic Diseases
• Workload
• Frustration
• Anxiety
• Domestic Violence
• Burnout

Loss of workplace as a community

• Workplace
• Diverse
• Inclusive
• Camaraderie
• Low Productivity
• Low Engagement
• Low Interaction
• Isolation
• Virtual Interaction

Working from home leads to cultural isolation

• Technology
• Productivity
• Utilisation
• Remote Working
• Language
• Culture
• Attitude
• Alienation
• High Attrition

User Interviews

Personal interviews were organised virtually, by phone, and on the internet. These interviews lasted from somewhere between 35–40 minutes. The respondents were probed on the following points:

• Employment experience
• Workplace experience
• Work-from-home experience
• Formal relationships
• Personal relationships
• Personal health initiative
• Personal development during the pandemic
• Personal schedule
• Learning from the pandemic

The respondents were selected from various experience levels to understand differing perspectives on working in the office and from the comfort of home.

Interview Responses

Below are a few interview responses highlighting the issues people face in the workforce and what initiatives were taken to solve them.

1. There is no line between personal and work hours.
2. Despite a good working life, there are no connections in my workplace.
3. Transferring to the office from work from home is going to be difficult.
4. I had to seek help from a counsellor.
5. Due to the pandemic, personal routines like cooking became longer.
6. My exhaustion has been compounded by acute sleeplessness.
7. Friendships with coworkers and bosses due to F2F meetings.
8. It is easy to form friendships when you meet people for real.
9. I was always sleepy and thinking about work.
10. It is easy to form friendships when you meet people for real.
11. The HR initiated some recreational activities in the workplace.

Creating Themes

1. Caring and transparent communication is core to working experience.
2. Employee well-being is the key to improving long-term productivity and health.
3. Deliver support to those who need it.
4. Bringing back fond memories and optimism is vital for a better work-life balance.

Final Insights

1. Employees face mental health disorders, decreasing their productivity due to the stress accumulated in the workplace.
2. posture in fa workplace health disorders decreasing their productivity due to incorrect physical
3. Weak concentration and lack of clarity obscures the ability to maintain a work-life balance at home and office.
4. Connectivity and self-control form the bedrock of solid workplace dynamics and relationships.

User Stories

Design Challenge

How might we create a service to improve communication in an online workplace to overcome the effects of social isolation?

Design Principles

1. Keep employees’ experience at the centre of the service.
2. Communication should be direct and transparent.
3. Speak with friendliness and care.
4. Service should provide support at every step.
5. Keep privacy ahead of sharing.
6. Build trust at every step.
7. Bring back fond memories and optimism to the users.

Stakeholder Mapping

Primary Stakeholders

• Employees
• Family
• Human Resources
• Managers

Secondary Stakeholders

• Therapists
• Fitness trainers
• Councillors
• Content writers
• Psychologists
• Quiz creator
• Game designers
• Medical first responders
• Medical Staff

Tertiary Stakeholders

• Executive leadership team
• Service back-end support staff
• Analysts
• Technical Staff
• Service front-end support staff

Business Model Canvas

Service Blueprint

Final Concept

Hemisphere is an employee wellbeing and morale enhancer service designed for companies and enterprises. The service consists of expert support, courses, additional tasks and challenges, and recreational activities planned by the medical professionals and authorised by the company. Employees of the customer company can seek mental and physical assistance, as well as assistance outside the office for personal medication and family assistance.

Furthermore, the service engages with employees on behalf of the company to gather valuable feedback on changing and further enhancing the organisation's work experience. By gathering qualitative and quantitative data based on specific probing points, it will be easier to gauge the overall impact of the service on the employees and its effect on the working experience in the company. With employee feedback, the service can propose changes to the company to accommodate their employees’ needs and aspirations. The employee data remains anonymous and not shared with the employer or any third-party agencies during the process.