ReDesigning Wellbeing for Equitable Care in the Workplace
Summary
Monthly or even quarterly well-being sessions on caring for your mental heath aren't enough to create inclusive and supporting workplace environments. In the teams that we cultivate and work with, there needs to be a foundation of care and autonomy that is integrated into the workflow. Equitable well-being should be at the core of creating an inclusive workplace and user experience for your customers and employees. In this interactive talk, we'll explore the themes of capitalism, hierarchy, classism, and other harmful realities of inequity that hinder true equitable well-being in the workplace to better the employee experience. We'll dive deep into how to reimagine a workplace framework and environment that is grounded in overall well-being and inclusion. Through this, you'll walk away with the knowledge and tools to push toward a dynamic of a more speculative and imaginative future that can be more freeing, and aligned with the well-being of people and all inhabitants, including the land, that can enable contribution to a healthier cyclical work environment.
Key Insights
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Redesigning workplace wellbeing benefits from models rooted in communal and playful experiences, like kickbacks.
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Psychological safety depends fundamentally on trust, not just formal policies.
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Workplaces should embrace autonomy and co-creation to honor diverse employee needs and voices.
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Burnout often arises because rest is treated as a reward, not a basic human right.
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Hustle culture, especially in design and creative fields, contributes significantly to burnout.
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Healing and wellbeing approaches must incorporate cultural differences, such as varied bereavement needs.
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Playfulness in the workplace invites curiosity, creativity, and a sense of community among employees.
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A safe and supportive space allows vulnerability, accountability, and transparency to coexist.
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Work culture often reflects dominant societal structures, necessitating global and inclusive perspectives.
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Personal rituals and breathing exercises help individuals regain agency even in toxic environments.
Notable Quotes
"Share everything, own nothing but credit everyone."
"Your breath is the most powerful thing; it reminds us of the power and agency that we do have as individuals."
"A kickback is a free flowing and life giving gathering that transforms and electrifies throughout the night."
"Burnout exists because we made rest a reward rather than a right."
"Stop saying rest is a luxury or a privilege. It is not. It is a human right."
"If you are silent about your pain, they will kill you and say you enjoyed it."
"We as a society are taught to care about people, rarely taught to care about ourselves."
"Jobs are always asking me for three references; I might start asking for three happy employees."
"We need to move the speed of trust. If I don’t trust you, how can I feel safe with you?"
"When we protect our rest, we also protect our dreaming."
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