Employee Wellness Tip: Learn Something New

Remember the mantra you were told as a child in elementary school? “Learn something new every day.” This nugget of wisdom can still inspire innovative ways to get your job done or help you think outside the box to solve a problem, even though your grade school days are far behind you.

Whether it’s a life skill, a workplace workaround, or an educational endeavor, everyone builds confidence with new knowledge. And the workplace is a great place to start! Try these three tips to encourage your employees to learn something new.

1. The great info swap.

Your walls are brimming with work-focused talent. Why not encourage employees to share what they know?

Ask a different worker to share what he or she does with the rest of the team by scheduling a quick how-to class or Q&A at lunch once a week. Have employees list skills that they have acquired that could help others do their jobs better and schedule them accordingly.

Consider including a few hobbies or non-work-related skills, just to spice things up. You can provide lunch, do a salad swap, or have employees bring their own sack lunch for the how-to class. 

FYI: If the class is required or related to work in any way, employee time during class must be compensated. In order for time to not be compensated, classes must be generally-applied skills (not just for a particular job), attendance must not be mandatory, and employees can’t be working at all during class time.

2. Take a class.

While you may not be able to physically run to the local community college, nearly everyone can schedule a lunch break or commute time to learn virtually (provided someone else is doing the driving). Look for at-your-own-pace classes and don’t limit yourself to work-focused classes. You could even create a bucket list of goals to help brain storm skills you want to further develop.

Tip: check with the local library to see if your library card connects you with any free resources. Many libraries provide access to paid online learning platforms at no cost to you! What a great way to build your skills without spending a dime.

3. Personal growth sessions.

Almost everyone could use a refresher course in investing, budgeting, time management, project management, or even health and wellbeing. Get them started by scheduling free seminars. You may find that your benefits provider can teach the session or recommend a great expert to talk to your team.

For more health and wellness tips, please contact your certified HR expert. Not a current Stratus HR client? Book a free consultation and our team will contact you shortly!