Recruitment and HR Blog
How to Promote Wellbeing at Work
5th May 2020
What is employee wellbeing?
Employee wellbeing is much more than offering help and support when someone asks for it. It includes physical, emotional and personal wellbeing as well as job satisfaction and personal development.
As an employer, it is impossible to know what every employee is thinking or feeling. The happiest person in the office could be crying out for help but they may not reach out.
Why promote health and wellbeing?
It’s no surprise that healthier and happier employees often perform better and take fewer sick days, however there are other benefits too:
- Greater staff motivation, flexibility, and retention - employees who feel looked after by their employer may be more committed to your organisation
- Improved psychological wellbeing — which can result in a reduction in workplace stress and associated absence, as well as more positive feelings about work
- Better customer outcomes — healthier, happier staff are likely to offer better customer experiences
So, consider introducing some measures to support all of your employees.
Here is a guide from the team here at JVP Group to help promote employee wellbeing in the workplace.
1. Encourage healthy eating
It’s all well and good suggesting your employees should eat more fruit and vegetables, but whether they listen is up to them. So, take matters into your own hands and instead of stocking up with sweets and biscuits, buy some fruit and vegetables for your employees to help themselves to.
Why is healthy eating important for wellbeing at work?
Not only does healthy eating help to maintain your physical health, but it can contribute to emotional health as well. Eating healthy foods can help to improve energy levels, concentration and even boost your mood whilst at work.
2. Offer mindful activities
It’s important to take a break, so give your employees something to do to relax and focus the mind during their breaks. Consider offering lunchtime activities which take their mind far away from work.
What mindful activities can you offer at work?
- Reading corner
- Lunchtime yoga
- Meditation
- Colouring in
- Walking club
3. Provide a place to relax
If you work in a busy office environment, tensions can sometimes run high so provide a quiet place for people to gather their thoughts. It allows employees to find a moment of calm if they’re having a stressful time at home or in work.
Where can my employees relax at work?
- Relaxation room with calming music
- Private working pods
- Take a walk or sit outside
- Comfy sofas for breaks
6. Talk about mental health in work, and remind them there is always someone to talk to
Mental health is nothing to be ashamed of, and it is just as important as our physical health. If an employee had a bad back, you’d want to make them feel comfortable. Mental health is no different. Make it well known that you support employees who are dealing with mental health issues.
Encouraging open conversations is sometimes easier said than done. People don’t always want to open up to managers and may feel better talking to a co-worker. However, others prefer to talk to a stranger about their mental health so advertise other services available to employees.
How should we talk about mental health in work?
- Never talk about mental health in a negative way
- Create a culture that supports staff talking about their mental health
- Signpost to mental health services by sending emails, hanging posters and discussing mental health support in company updates
Who can my employees speak to about their mental health?
- Samaritans - 116 123
- Mind - 0300 123 3393
- SANE - 0300 304 7000
60 per cent of employees say they’d feel more motivated and more likely to recommend their organisation as a good place to work if their employer took action to support mental wellbeing. (Mind, 2019)
5. Team building activities
Building healthy relationships goes beyond making drinks for the people you sit next to every day. Your team need to get to know each other so they can trust and support their colleagues through challenging times. It also boosts staff morale to get out of the office and do something fun.
What team building activities can I organise?
- Bake off
- Karaoke night
- Pub quiz
- Escape room
- City break
6. Encourage a healthy work/life balance
It may be good for business to have an employee working around the clock, but it is not good for their wellbeing. Discourage working late evenings or at weekends so that employees can make time for themselves.
How should you encourage a healthy work/life balance?
- Allow employees working extra hours to re-claim their time
- Introduce flexible working so employees can work hours that suit them
- Support hobbies outside work and encourage employees to pursue other passions
7. Have meaningful conversations
One of the best ways to encourage meaningful conversations is by starting them. If senior members of the team start down to earth conversations, it makes it easier for everyone to communicate on the same level.
Why are meaningful conversations important?
- It helps to build trust
- They can spark friendships
- Encourages employees to open up if they need to talk to someone
8. Learning and development
With new systems to learn, new processes to understand and new job roles to aim for, learning and development is crucial to career progression. Support ambitions by creating a personal development programme (PDP) and offer a training budget to fund courses and conferences aiding their learning.
Why is personal development important?
- Career progression and job satisfaction
- Aids understanding and builds confidence
- Empowers employees and gives them a sense of achievement
It is crucial to support employee wellbeing at all times, not just when they ask for help.
Create a positive work environment and always think of new ways to boost staff morale.
Here at JVP we know how hard you work to create an amazing workplace where employees are engaged, motivated, and feel valued. It’s why we’re so passionate about employer brands, because we know the difference it can make when it comes to attracting the best talent.
To discover how our employer branded job advertising and recruitment marketing solutions will help you to quickly attract the best people, whilst removing the hassle and high costs from the recruitment process, call the JVP Group team on 01745 774 955, or click here to schedule a 20-minute free consultation call.
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