Wellbeing at Work and Trusted Teams with Jen Fisher

Podcast: Conscious Leaders — Well-being Webinar Series Host: Gret Batchelar, Co-founder of Conscious Working Guest: Jen Fisher, Chief Well-being Officer at Deloitte and author of Work Better Together Episode Overview: In this episode, Gret Batchelar sits down with Jen Fisher, the Chief Well-being Officer at Deloitte. Jen shares her personal journey from experiencing severe burnout to pioneering a holistic mental health and well-being programme for Deloitte's massive workforce. They discuss the evolution of workplace culture, the importance of leadership modelling healthy behaviours, and the future of hybrid work. Key Takeaways & Discussion Points: From Personal Burnout to Systemic Change: About seven years ago, Jen experienced severe burnout accompanied by depression and anxiety, leaving her unable to engage in work or life. After taking a leave of absence, she returned to Deloitte with a business case to create a role dedicated to workforce well-being — realising that if she needed this support, the entire organisation did too. " Well-being" over "Wellness" & "Integration" over "Balance": Deloitte intentionally shifted its language from "wellness" to a more holistic "well-being," focusing on four key pillars: body, mind, purpose, and financial health. Jen also explains that "work-life balance" is a false myth — instead, they focus on "work-life integration" to help employees design their weeks in a way that allows them to thrive both personally and professionally. Measuring Well-being Without Productivity Metrics: Jen strongly opposes tying well-being to productivity metrics, arguing that overloading people simply because they are working more efficiently leads directly to burnout. Instead, Deloitte relies on annual talent surveys and regular pulse surveys to gauge sentiment, psychological safety, and the actual needs of their workforce. The Importance of Leadership & Walking the Talk: For well-being initiatives to succeed, leaders must authentically role-model healthy behaviours. Jen realised that telling her team they didn't need to check emails on holiday wasn't enough if she was still checking hers. Now she establishes agreed standard working hours (9am to 6pm) and completely disconnects during holidays to empower her team and remove the fear of missing out. Developing a "Rest Ethic": Jen champions the idea of a rest ethic, noting that stepping away from technology and allowing yourself to be bored actually fuels creativity, kindness, and innovation. She recommends taking baby steps to disconnect — such as a half-day away from screens or giving yourself a full weekend free of technology. The Purpose of the Hybrid Office: Jen believes hybrid work is here to stay, but the physical office needs to be reimagined. Rather than a place for heads-down quiet work, the office of the future should be designed primarily for human connection and collaboration. Jen's Non-Negotiable Well-being Practices: Jen's personal definition of well-being is to eat, move, sleep, and find joy. She prioritises daily movement to manage her anxiety, enforces a strict seven to nine hours of sleep, and intentionally seeks out small moments of joy to combat the negativity of the 24-hour news cycle. Resources Mentioned: Work Better Together by Jen Fisher and Anh Nguyen Phillips — a book exploring the impact of meaningful relationships at work and how to use technology to enhance rather than detract from human connection. Time Off by John Fitch and Max Frenzel — recommended by Jen for its insights into developing a strong rest ethic.