Best Practices to Promote Employee Wellbeing at Work
It goes without saying that employees need more than money to be happy at work. Being supported towards achieving physical, psychological, and social health - that is experiencing the very definition of employee wellbeing at work, people tend to feel more positive about their jobs. As a result, businesses that pay attention to employee wellness are more likely to have employees who are productive, happy, and healthy.
That’s why we see more and more businesses coming around to the idea that employee wellbeing is important. However, given the intense work often demanded of today's professionals, it is not always easy to strike a balance between work and home life - the strategy should be put in place.
Mapping out an employee wellbeing strategy
Employee wellbeing is part of the definition of health. All employees should be provided with a workplace where they can feel safe and secure and have many other freedoms including:
having the opportunity for growth and development
enjoying freedom from oppression or harassment
receiving fair treatment
earning sufficient income to meet basic needs
managing personal stress effectively
achieving fairness in outcomes.
An increasing body of evidence shows that health and wellbeing are critical to performance at work. This has led to a growing recognition of the importance of developing a longer-term approach to employee wellbeing, rather than treating it as an add-on.
The benefits of an employee wellbeing strategy
The establishment of an employee wellbeing strategy in advance is beneficial to both employees and organizations.
The benefits for employees include:
improved self-esteem and motivation
increased productivity
better work relationships
When it comes to the unit of organization, the cost of employee turnover is high, so a strategy that improves workplace culture and enhances absenteeism would go a long way in reducing costs. Additionally, employees who are more resilient at work will better handle the challenges they face every day. Resilient employees will also tend to have a longer tenure which translates into reduced recruitment and training costs.
How to implement an effective employee wellbeing strategy
There are several steps that managers can take to implement an effective employee wellbeing strategy in the workplace:
The first and the most crucial step is to have an established strategic plan for improving workplace wellbeing. This plan should clearly state what you want to achieve, how you want to do it, who will be responsible for each task or goal, and a time frame on when this strategy would be completed. You could even include a set of objectives for your employees to review their wellness at work. Ensure that the objectives you specify will serve your organization and benefit your employees' health and quality of life at home and outside the work environment.
Build a support group/team to help you devise and implement your strategy effectively. The team should consist of people from different functions within the organization, such as human resources, occupational health, safety, and security. Some organizations even hire a professional who specializes in improving employee wellbeing to help them with their strategy. If necessary, get your employees involved by conducting focus groups about what they think could be improved at work regarding their general wellbeing. Make sure that this team is consulted when you are drafting objectives and strategies. It will enable you to include their input and secure their buy-in on the ideas and initiatives that you have proposed. Without doing so, you would be doing this exercise in a vacuum, which may fail to achieve your objectives.
Outline the necessary resources needed to implement your strategy. This includes budget, training, and time allocation for each task.
Constantly evaluate the effectiveness of the strategy you employed and make improvements.
In summary, the importance of workplace wellbeing should never be underestimated by company managers as it directly impacts the workforce's productivity. By creating a workplace where employees are encouraged to take charge of their own health and provided regular opportunities for growth, you will be able to improve employees' mental state at work and increase staff commitment. This benefits both the organization and its workers.
References:
https://www.forecast.app/blog/employee-wellbeing