How to Nurture Workplace Wellbeing
Every successful should pay attention to how productive their employees are, how low their retention rate is, and how much money their company is making. But are enough businesses focused on the wellbeing of their employees?
On the one hand, this may not feel like a company’s responsibility. Business is business and an employee’s wellness is personal, right? That may be true in some circumstances, but the truth is that an employee’s health and wellbeing can greatly affect their work performance. In fact, almost a fourth of US employees stated in a 2022 survey that their burnout level is either “high” or “very high”. Inevitably, serious burnout leads to a lack of productivity, a toxic workplace, and a struggling business. While you may not see the consequences of an ill workplace right away, you will eventually—and by then, it might be too late.
That’s why workplace wellbeing should absolutely be a top focus for your company. If you want to attract and retain employees that can show up as their best selves for you clients, you need to keep wellness top of mind. Here are five simple ways you can nurture workplace wellbeing within your company so that your employees stay happy, healthy, and helpful.
Gather Employee Feedback
Consider starting by gathering feedback from your employees. It might look like one-on-one meetings, group listening sessions, or a simple survey sent via e-mail. This can help you understand what people are actually looking for. You don’t want to offer a discounted gym membership if most of your employees have no interest in joining a gym, or wellness seminars that nobody will be attending. In fact, what most people want might be as simple as an extra vacation day or two, which can make everyone’s lives easier with a lot less coordination and logistics. Employees are the experts on themselves; they’ll know best what they really need in order to feel well and succeed within your company. They’ll also feel like they had some power in the decision making progress, which can increase trust all around and provide for a better workplace environment where everyone feels respected and valued. By soliciting the opinion of your employees, you’ll be able to provide them with wellness assistance that actually benefits them.
Stay Aligned With Your Company Values
Just because another business in your area or industry is providing a new wellness experience doesn’t mean that you have to do the same one if it doesn’t align with your values. A team competition may sound like a ton of fun and motivate your employees—or it might make people feel icky and like they’re being set up to fail. Things like a weight loss challenge can be a huge hit, or perceived as fatphobic. A lot will depend on your company culture and values. Take some time to really think over if the practices you’re considering implementing are properly aligned with your business.
Get Involved in the Community
What resources does your local community have when it comes to wellness? Finding a way to collaborate with the people around you can be a great way to improve employees’ health. Maybe there’s a local yoga studio that’s interested in offering you a group rate, or a smoothie shop that would be interested in coming to teach your employees about how to incorporate more fruits and veggies in their diet, or a local charity that wants to coordinate on a 5K. Employees might be more motivated to actually partake in wellness events if they have a real connection to them. Showing up to support friends, family, and neighbors can be an easier sell than just another workplace event. It can also help strengthen your business’ ties to the community in a meaningful way. Charitable giving has proven health benefits (source)—consider asking your employees to vote on a local charity to raise money for, or find another way to give back as a business.
Don’t Neglect Your Benefits Package
One of the most straightforward things companies can do to improve employee wellness is to ensure their benefits package is actually up to snuff. Benefits packages aren’t just an important recruitment feature; they’re also the strongest way to demonstrate to employees that you care about their health. Employees might justly feel frustrated if they’re offered opportunities to attend wellness seminars while they don’t feel their actual health insurance is actually helping them. Does your benefits package include mental health services? Does it offer telehealth experiences? Does it give childcare assistance? What about bereavement leave? Do you have special discounts or opportunities for employees to get money back if they pass things like a blood sugar screening or blood pressure test? Your benefits package can be a very powerful tool for supporting workplace wellness.
Understand the Long-Term Benefits of Wellness
Lastly, understand that wellness isn’t just a buzzword. It’s entertaining to poke fun at the various wellness trends today, and nobody’s asking you to put a sauna or red light bed in your office a la Kim Kardashian. But wellness isn’t simply another hot trend in business. It’s a long term investment in your most valuable asset: your employees. Employees that feel like their company truly cares about them are more likely to stick around long term, lowering your hiring and onboarding costs. They’re also more likely to be productive, creative, and able to bring their best to work. Happy, healthy employees show up with good attitudes and can-do spirits. Your company also isn’t just about selling products and services: it’s about supporting a group of people who are trying to put food on the table for their families. Truly flourishing workplaces will always see their employees as human beings, not working robots. Pushing your employees to the brim might make you a bit extra cash this month, but it’s guaranteed to hurt you in the long run. Create a culture that values people first and foremost, and you’ll see it pay off in your profit exponentially.
Claire Swinarski is a Contributing Editor at HR Daily Advisor.
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