As workplaces and their operations evolve, some hospitals and health systems are considering new trends to improve employee satisfaction and work-life balance.
Below are four workplace trends Becker's reported on in 2024:
1. 4-day workweeks: While data highlights a growing trend in this schedule across industries, Becker's spoke with chief people officers from two health systems in February about its feasibility in healthcare. Greg Till, chief people officer of Renton, Wash.-based Providence, said the concept works best at the individual level but is unlikely to be applicable "across the board for everybody at the same time."
2. No more 8 a.m. meetings: Some health systems, such as St. Louis-based Mercy, instituted meeting-free weekday mornings. This allows operational leaders more time for facility rounding and face-to-face conversations, Catherine Codispoti, senior vice president and chief people officer, told Becker's in April.
3. An 'unbossed' culture: This concept emphasizes management taking on leadership roles rather than supervisory ones and has been considered across industries. In May, three hospital and health system executives shared with Becker's whether this would work in healthcare. "The healthcare industry is the perfect environment for an unbossed culture in that team members are highly aligned with the mission of providing compassionate care to patients and their families," said Michael Wukitsch, PhD, chief people officer of Fort Myers, Fla.-based Lee Health.
4. Meeting-free Fridays: In response to a Becker's LinkedIn poll asking, "Many health systems are refining their meeting strategies. Which approach most accurately reflects your organization's preferences?" Twenty-eight percent of respondents selected meeting-free Fridays. About half of respondents indicated their approach is unchanged, while 16% said 45-minute meetings and 5% said meeting-free mornings.