What comes to mind when you hear the words ‘workplace wellbeing’?

It may be perks such as private medical insurance, gym membership, activities such as yoga classes or massage sessions, all of which are commendable but are you starting from a good place? For any wellbeing strategy to be successful, staff need to feel comfortable with what is being offered and that comes from being in a supportive, open and honest environment.

1. Organise regular one to one sessions between managers and staff to encourage discussion about the impact of workloads, targets and deadlines which are often the root cause of workplace stress. If staff are feeling anxious or worried, they are less likely to engage in wellbeing activities.
2. Have regular staff forums to find out what staff would like to see in place. Encouraging everyone to be part of the process promotes feelings of inclusivity and being part of a team.
3. Create Wellbeing Champions to keep the conversations going.
4. Create an online anonymous survey, ask what people would like to see or to comment on wellbeing activities already in place.
5. Provide training for Mental Health First Aiders to be a port of call for anyone struggling with mental health issues. This is particularly important following the pandemic where many suffered with their mental health and which is still having an impact on their working lives.
6. Many businesses now have a hybrid model where there is a mixture of staff working from home and in the office. It is important to think of activities that include everyone, for example, something they can take part in online so it doesn’t matter if you are taking part from your screen at home or in the office. It’s important no-one feels excluded.
7. Don’t forget social interactions are just as important as work. Arrange social events, competitions and challenges to improve morale and team building. It shows downtime is part of the culture and wellbeing ethos.

Why is wellbeing at work so important? The days of a good job being defined by a decent salary alone are long gone, people want to know what else can an employer offer, and wellbeing is an important factor. Get it right and you will reap financial benefits with staff retention, better engagement which reflects in great customer service and a motivated staff force. This is a great place to start, build on top of that other activities everyone wants to take part in, and you have the beginnings of a great health and wellbeing programme. Images provided by hands on at work, pixabay