The wellness industry has long been on the rise and continues to grow in popularity, with more people incorporating practices like Mindfulness, exercise and connecting with nature into their daily routines and personal lives.
More recently, the effects of the global coronavirus pandemic, several country-wide lockdowns and less time spent socialising have further contributed to the rise of wellness, with more people making a conscious effort focusing on their wellbeing as a priority.
So, how does this translate to the workplace? And what could you do to improve and support employee wellbeing in your own organisation?
What is employee wellbeing?
Employee wellbeing refers to the physical, mental and emotional health of individuals, and optimising their happiness and satisfaction at work. Supporting the wellbeing of your employees is not only beneficial for them and their overall health, but it can have a significant, positive impact on productivity and business growth.
Looking after employee wellbeing goes beyond having a good policy around mental health days, sick leave and pay, and rather extends to understanding the needs of your employees from a social wellbeing perspective. Providing mental health benefits, initiatives and investing in their development, are a few examples of how you can support your employees.
With many people spending a significant portion of their life working, employers can make a real, meaningful impact by investing in the wellbeing of their staff. This not only helps to prevent stress and reduce the issue of burnout, it ultimately nurtures a culture of trust, authenticity and empowerment.
4 ways to improve employee wellbeing
1. Make time for wellness
Whether you have existing wellbeing initiatives in place, or are thinking of creating some, it’s important that your employees know what support is available to them.
It could be access to mental health resources, virtual meditation or yoga sessions or encouraging them to take 30 minutes-1 hour during their working day to take time out for themselves. This is particularly important whilst many companies are working from home, and employees could be feeling the effects of limited social interaction.
2. Consider flexibility
Whether its flexible working hours or supporting employees through remote working, flexibility can have a hugely positive impact on employee wellbeing.
Time pressures, commuting and being fixed to one location are all examples of what can lead to feelings of stress and overwhelm. Think about which flexible working arrangements would benefit your business and your employees, and what you need to do to put them in place.
3. Focus on communication
Communication is vital for any organisation, and it is also vital to the happiness and job satisfaction of employees.
You can support your employees by creating opportunities for them to communicate across different areas of the business. You could consider a reverse mentor scheme where employees in different roles are able to collaborate, and encourage managers to facilitate regular mental health check-ins with their teams.
This can help your employees to feel supported and listened to by senior leaders, as well as igniting a collaborative spirit between colleagues across the organisation.
4. Promote helpful initiatives
Consider making mental health and wellbeing a priority by recognising events like Time To Talk Day, Stress Awareness Month, and Mental Health Awareness Week, and promoting these within your organisation.
As well as supporting events, organisations can invest in a Mental Health and Wellbeing Champions Scheme, where a team of dedicated employee volunteers are trained to guide and signpost staff effectively if they are struggling with their mental health, as well as creating initiatives to boost employee wellness.
Implementing initiatives like this can provide invaluable support for employees, creating an open, positive, and empowering work environment.
Next step: putting employee wellbeing first
There are many different ways you can promote a culture of wellness within your organisation, and the four tips above are just a few. The next step is to explore which of these ideas can nurture and improve your existing company culture and ultimately support the mental wellbeing of your employees.
For more ideas, read our comprehensive guide on How to create a business wellbeing strategy.