6 ways to build a workplace wellbeing culture
“Positive culture comes from being mindful, respecting your co-workers
and being empathetic” Biz Stone
For a wellbeing culture to thrive, it is essential that companies embed wellbeing within their company culture
Company culture isn’t a written document that people adhere to, it is an unseen energy that exists within that workplace. Business success, or failure, is determined by a company’s culture. To add to this, company cultures are the very essence of what determines successful employee wellbeing programmes. A poor culture can hamper even the most well thought out of employee wellbeing strategies. Showing that the business cares for and supports all aspects of employee wellbeing, and not just the bottom line, is essential to the success of the programme.
6 ways to workplace wellbeing culture
Understand what employees need and want. Encouraging employees to have a voice, enables them to share their views, feel included, empowered and valued. This can be carried out by way of employee surveys, one-to-one reviews and focus groups. Without the knowledge and insights of how your employees view the existing company culture, future wellbeing programmes may be met with indifference and antipathy.
Tailor your wellbeing programme to suit your workforce. Ensure that you focus on the key areas and findings within your workplace. For instance, if stress is prominent, then providing wellbeing webinars or programmes that target resilience and relaxation methods will undoubtedly help. If morale is low and productivity is lacking, then you could introduce a behavioural change programme that encompasses mental, physical and emotional wellbeing.
Ensure managers support employee wellbeing. Giving managers the training and resources they need to be effective leaders is essential for them to effectively support their teams. Understanding the connection between employee wellbeing and company success will ensure managers provide the right assistance and champion the wellbeing of employees. Through their influence, guidance and example, they can help to solidify their company’s long-term vision and wellbeing strategy, by embedding consistency from within the organisation.
Create space to talk. Many people with mental health issues will suffer in silence. It is vital to keep the doors of communication open to ensure that employees feel it is safe to talk and to do so confidentially and with discretion. A good way to do this is to encourage peer support by promoting social spaces at work. This is where people can come together in a relaxed way to talk and share their thoughts and experiences. Interestingly, in a study by Acas, to find out more about individuals’ current experience of mental wellbeing at work, two-thirds of employees (66%) felt stressed and/or anxious about work in the last 12 months, with particular variation by age – 76% for those under the age of 35, compared to 54% for those aged 55 and over.
Create an environment of trust and transparency. Being transparent as a business will lead to higher levels of trust. And higher levels of trust will help to empower employees and make them feel valued. Sharing information about your business plan and financial performance will help to improve employee engagement and increase trust. Feeling trusted goes hand-in-hand with feeling valued.
Continue to nurture wellbeing culture. To ensure employees are continually supported, workplace cultures will need to be regularly assessed. The wellbeing culture itself will require a strategic approach, through company objectives and accountabilities.
An effective wellbeing culture gives employees the opportunity to grow both professionally and personally
It is not a new concept that there are strong links between employee engagement and workplace wellbeing. It does appear that many businesses lack the hard evidence that their wellbeing programmes actually deliver a good ROI. Without understanding what employees need, wellbeing initiatives will not provide companies with the sustainable wellbeing culture they need to flourish and succeed.
References:
https://www.wellbeingpeople.com/2021/03/23/6-ways-to-build-a-workplace-wellbeing-culture/