7 Ways Companies Can Boost Employee Wellbeing

With increased awareness of physical and mental health throughout the world, more companies are striving to incorporate activities and programs to improve and raise awareness for employee wellbeing. Employees that are given better working conditions will, of course, go on to be more efficient and productive allowing the company to grow more and increase its output. If more employers start by making small changes to their companies to better the health of their employees, it could go a long way for both the employers and employees.

Allow employees to control their schedule: companies that provide employees with autonomy seem to have higher employee wellbeing

Letting employees have freedom in the workplace is becoming a more widespread approach as more companies become aware of needing to take care of their employees’ physical and mental health in the workspace, such as letting employees determine their own schedules or decide how to complete their tasks. Allowing employees to choose their own schedules or decide how to complete tasks can lead to higher motivation and increased employee wellbeing. Having the flexibility to decide when and how they work can reduce stress and prevent burnout. Incorporating autonomy in the workplace can have a positive impact on both employees and the organisation as a whole. It’s important for employers to establish clear guidelines and expectations when implementing a flexible schedule policy, but ultimately giving employees more control over when they work is a win-win situation for both the employer and employee. It creates a positive workplace culture that values its workers and allows them to thrive professionally and personally.

Create a positive and constructive work environment boost wellbeing

Developing a positive work environment is essential for employee wellbeing and satisfaction. One way to achieve this is by encouraging collaboration within a team, which results in better communication, idea-sharing, and goal-oriented teamwork. For new employees, the way they start their job can impact their productivity in the long run. In fact, 20% of all the employee’s work in the span of one job is likely to occur within the first 45 days of employment. Another benefit of a positive work environment is that it can increase creativity and innovation among employees. When they feel supported and comfortable sharing their ideas and opinions, they are more likely to develop new and innovative ideas and solutions to challenges and problems. Ultimately, creating a culture that unites employees and sets a clear direction is crucial for fostering a positive workplace environment, but the way in which these values and priorities are communicated is just as important.

Offer employee wellbeing programs

Employee wellness programs are programs undertaken by an employer to benefit employee health and also to help individual employees overcome particular health-related problems. A wellness program can help create a sense of community and collaboration among employees. When employees participate in wellness activities together, they can build stronger relationships and develop relationships amongst different departments and introduce people to other employees they may not interact with as much. This can lead to improved teamwork and better business outcomes. Offering an employee wellbeing program can also help a company improve its corporate social responsibility which can lead to a positive social impact and help a company build a better reputation in its community. Some initiatives offer employees the chance to experience other activities unrelated to work, such as participating in a sports team, going to the gym, or eating lunch together. The interaction of co-workers facilitates bonding that helps teams work better together as a whole.

Promote movement and exercise to improve physical wellbeing

You can encourage physical activity through multiple approaches, such as offering mental support, access to facilities, or organising programs throughout the week or month where employees have the opportunity to get up and move around. Regardless of the size, resources, setting, or type of your workplace, there are many ways to help your employees be more physically active. On average, employees spend about five to six hours sitting down and working. If employers encouraged breaks where employees were required to get up and walk around, it could help stimulate blood flow and even prevent a variety of health conditions that could arise from the lack of movement, such as high blood pressure or hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) improving employee wellbeing as well as their general physical ability.

Set healthy boundaries to ensure social wellbeing

Setting boundaries to helps employers to establish clear expectations of what they will and will not tolerate in their employees’ relationships, work, and personal lives. Without boundaries, employees can become overwhelmed, stressed, and even resentful towards their employers or their job. To set healthy boundaries, it is important to first identify the company’s values and priorities as this will help you determine what behaviours or situations are acceptable or unacceptable. Communicating these boundaries clearly and assertively, and though it may feel uncomfortable at first, will lead to healthier relationships and increased employee wellbeing. In addition to communicating boundaries with others, it is important to practise self-care by setting personal limits on how much time and energy employees spend on activities like work or taking breaks. This allows employees to prioritise their own well-being and prevent burnout while balancing their work life.

Focus on relations within a team to improve trust

Investing in fostering and developing the team’s relationships helps build trust, prevents conflict, encourages communication, and increases collaboration and employee wellbeing. Effective team building means more engaged employees and a healthier workspace. Team relations are crucial because employees need to feel that the people that they work with every day are trustworthy, and people they can fall upon or collaborate well with to produce optimum results. A feeling of isolation in an employee can reduce productivity by about 20% while employees that report that they feel that their communication and relations with their co-workers are above average work 50% more productively than those who don’t. Building team relations is especially important in the long run as building trust over time will improve efficiency in the future as they will be familiar with the people and the environment and will take less time to get a task done.

Establish workspace safety

The first step towards establishing workspace safety is to identify potential hazards and assess risks. Employers should implement measures to eliminate or reduce these risks, such as providing safety gear, installing safety equipment, and conducting regular inspections. Training employees on health and safety procedures, including educating them on how to use equipment safely, identifying potential hazards in the workplace, and what steps to take in case of an emergency, is also crucial. Regular communication between management and employees regarding health and safety policies should be established. Employers should encourage workers to report any hazardous conditions immediately to ensure safety and employee wellbeing.

Most management strategies that increase employee wellbeing also benefit employers, and though they may take time to implement and set-up, the rewards are bound to outweigh any drawbacks. Companies that care about their employee wellbeing and health are more likely to have employees that care about the firm too, and ultimately, this should be the goal of all companies and employers.

Explore Candok’s Work Place Health Promotion program here

The video Examines the Business Case on how Employers benefit from employee wellbeing as it results in lower sickness, disability, leaves, and increased overall productivity.