Prioritizing Employee Wellness: Creating a Healthy Work Environment

Selina Jones-May, Senior Global HR Director, Lumentum [NASDAQ: LITE]

Selina Jones-May is the Senior Global HR Director of Lumentum and has a significant expertise in international consulting. She specializes in global mobility, expatriate tax & compliance, immigration, and global HR M&A. May has extensive commercial expertise across a wide range of sectors and is an expert in M&A, corporate tax, and HR changes. Additionally, she has won several honors and contributes to the HR sector by serving in judging capacities, attending conferences throughout the world, and writing thought leadership.

In an exclusive interview with HR Tech Outlook Europe, May shared his valuable insights on the challenges, trends and best practices in Employee Wellness space.

What are your roles and responsibilities at Lumentum, considering your experience within the HR sector?

I commenced my professional journey within the prestigious big four consulting firm, PwC (PricewaterhouseCoopers), where I gained valuable experience. Subsequently, I pursued a specialized graduate program focusing on expatriate tax. Throughout my career, I have provided strategic guidance to multinational corporations on a wide range of areas, including worldwide payrolls, risk mitigation, and talent mobilization. I also had the opportunity to engage in client secondments, where I played a pivotal role in supporting Mars, a prominent confectionery company, in addressing HR and regulatory challenges across their international mobility population. As a result of these experiences, I joined PepsiCo and assumed leadership roles within the global mobility department for the EMEA region, focusing on topics including immigration and expatriate taxation.

In due course, I transitioned to a prominent marine firm where I took on a similar position managing several strategic initiatives. At Worley Parsons, a prestigious Australian engineering and construction business, I managed global mobility, expatriate tax, immigration, foreign payroll, and benefits during my employment there. At Lemento, a Silicon Valley-based digital firm, I also led crucial operations including global benefits, wellness programs, global mobility tax, immigration, and actively participated in M&A activities and strategic HR initiatives. In my pursuit of advancing the careers of both my team members and industry professionals, I remain dedicated to expanding their knowledge and skill sets.

What, according to you, are some of the most pressing issues affecting employee wellbeing in the HR sector?

The workforce is undergoing a transformation due to macro economic factors, including four generations of employees with different needs and expectations. The younger generations seek work-life balance, flexibility, and control over their work, while the older generations seek security and pensions. The financial climate is also challenging, with inflation soaring in many countries and global pressures due to cost, living crisis, and the COVID pandemic. Consequently, companies face a substantial risk of burnout, making employee wellbeing an essential imperative.

Investing in health and wellness is becoming crucial, but gathering statistics on its efficacy and return on investment is difficult. Large firms are making significant investments in health and wellness, yet it is challenging to calculate the return on investment. Understanding the various facets of wellness can be challenging and to optimize their benefits, employers must think about how to encourage employees to make prudent financial choices and maximize gains. The three areas of wellbeing, such as physical, mental, and financial are challenging and require significant investment. However, some companies struggle to prove the positive impact of their investments, and data and analytics are essential for companies to demonstrate their effectiveness.

“Benchmarking and networking are pivotal for gathering data from diverse sources, both formal and informal, while also fostering the determination and confidence required to advocate for a business case.”

What would you say are some of the technologies that help you streamline your strategies when it comes to the employee wellness space?

There are various levers to push for employee wellbeing, such as ‘trail’ days which allow employees to have a no-meeting Friday to promote a broader thinking space.  And on 'thank you days,' the entire company, including the CEO, is granted a day off as a gesture of appreciation. The positive impact of these initiatives on employee engagement is large and it demands the need for companies to provide broader welfare solutions. Consequently, there is a significant uptake in companies providing wellness solutions, such as old-fashioned EAP programs.

Additionally, one particular advancement is the rise of financial security solutions, such as Nudge, which allows employees to configure their benefits program to their circumstances, enabling them to make more targeted decisions about spending. Despite the large number of solutions that are available, it is challenging to secure buy-in from above and budget for these initiatives, as they are expensive and not available on limited budgets.

 Conclusively, we aim to implement a global wellbeing solution within the next fiscal year, including apps, websites, counselors, and coaches, to support employees and their dependents in every aspect of wellbeing.

How would you advise organizations on how to implement improvements to enhance employee wellness?
It is important to familiarize oneself with their organization and to implement the best practices when introducing new solutions. Conducting thorough research, comparing oneself against competitors, and engaging with industry professionals is vital to identify market gaps. This aids in determining the most suitable approach for their company.

Benchmarking and networking are pivotal for gathering data from diverse sources, both formal and informal, while also fostering the determination and confidence required to advocate for a business case. Rather than succumbing to the initial obstacle, one should focus on building momentum and constructing a compelling business case.

Despite the overwhelming influx of new providers and solutions, companies now have an abundance of options at their disposal. However, the challenge lies in securing buy-in from higher management and allocating budget for these solutions, considering their high cost and limited availability. To achieve success, companies must take a targeted approach and carefully assess what aligns best with their specific needs and goals.

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