Businesses are only as healthy as the people that run them. And let's face it: many of us are ailing. The pandemic has upended the way we work and driven our stress to record levels. The US Census Bureau reports that over 30 percent of American adults have demonstrated signs of anxiety and depression since April - an increase of 200 percent since 2019. To help bring things in check, Citrix Systems, Inc., today announced the availability of new well-being capabilities within Citrix Workspace that companies can use to help employees better manage the pressures and complexities of the workday so they can be and do their best.

"Traditionally, companies have focused on the physical well-being of their employees and viewed the other aspects as a bit taboo. But the pandemic has changed this," said Donna Kimmel, Executive Vice President and Chief People Officer, Citrix. "Companies are now having more holistic conversations that cover the mental, spiritual, and emotional aspects of well-being because they realize that they must create a workspace that empowers their people to be well on all fronts."

And there is incentive for them to do so. The World Health Organization estimates that depression and anxiety disorders cost the global economy $1 trillion each year in lost productivity.

"We cannot remain in this state of cognitive and emotional turmoil, with fatigue, negativity, and overload," says Amit Sood, MD and executive director of the Global Center for Resiliency and Well-Being. "A solution is to become resilient so that we can withstand and bounce back from the adversity we currently face, become physically stronger, establish better relationships, and enjoy greater success at work."

The Space to Succeed

With Citrix, companies can create the space people need to be well and succeed. Using Citrix Workspace, they can deliver a secure, reliable and consistent experience that removes the noise and distractions from work, enabling employees to focus, innovate and create value.

And, leveraging new microapp capabilities within the solution, they can seamlessly integrate well-being functionality into the workspace and make it part of how they work. The easy-to-use, low-code tools enable companies to automatically surface relevant content and resources to support employees and deliver it to any device. And they can be used to drive vital tasks associated with well-being and make it part of the workday such as:

• Conducting quick pulse surveys to track and improve employee happiness and well-being
• Sharing positive news to increase employee morale
• Recognizing colleagues and their achievements to foster engagement and community
• Surfacing relevant content and FAQs to support employees in one place, securely

Customers will also be able to add new functionality through a growing ecosystem of Citrix partners or build new microapps themselves to adapt the well-being capabilities to meet changing needs.

A Culture of Well-Being

"We're all managing the challenges of the pandemic in different ways," Kimmel said. "But one thing is universal: when people experience a state of well-being at work, they can unlock their potential, work purposefully and creatively, successfully control everyday stress, and make meaningful contributions to the success of the entire organization," Kimmel said.

Citrix partners such as A2K Partners are already eyeing the new capabilities within Citrix Workspace to help clients create an environment that promotes well-being and lessens the impact that stress and burnout have on employees so they can flourish and achieve their full potential.

"To accelerate revenue and the customer experience, people need to think and feel their best and 'be in their flow,' and leaders are reprioritizing well-being as part of their strategies to accommodate this," said Ray Wolf, CEO, A2K Partners "It is a newer trend, and together with Citrix, we can help to fuel it, providing solutions that enable organizations to make well-being a part of their DNA and support it in a holistic way."

Fujitsu is on board as well. As a result of this initiative, the company has integrated the Fujitsu BuddyConnect mobile app with Citrix Workspace.

"Culture Change builds resilience into the fabric of organizations with new ways of working and empowered people, which supports their well-being," said Sarah-Jane Littleford, Head of Responsible Business, Fujitsu Global Delivery. "In addition, the pandemic has served as a catalyst to put employee well-being right at the top of business priorities. Leveraging the Citrix Workspace platform and well-being capabilities within it, we can help our customers embed well-being and inclusion in their culture which is key to unlocking success while powering operational effectiveness."

The Citrix well-being capabilities are available for use today. To learn more about the technology and the value it can deliver for your organization, click here.