May 31, 2023
Your business cannot thrive when projects stagnate, staff become disengaged and profits plummet. The pursuit of longer-term success requires that you develop a culture in which business growth, stability and sustainability are the pillars of success by which the entire organisation and its people are measured.
Implementing employee wellbeing programs is one way in which you can improve staff engagement and with it, productivity, output and profits. So, what is employee wellbeing?
Employee wellbeing
Employee wellbeing is the term used to describe the mental, physical and emotional health of a business's workforce. Research has proven on multiple occasions that happy, engaged and motivated personnel have a positive impact on a business's productivity and profitability.
This is because these businesses experience lower levels of absenteeism and staff turnover, increased retention rates and an improved corporate reputation. These benefits are widely recognised as being the result of a positive work culture [1].
Implementing employee wellbeing programs
The right employee wellbeing program can deliver impressive benefits to any organisation. You can achieve great things by supporting staff in making healthy decisions and giving them the tools, incentives and strategies required to embed them into their everyday lives.
With many businesses across a wide range of industry sectors struggling to recruit [2], offering access to employee wellbeing programs as part of your employer value proposition (EVP) will set your business apart from its competition and may very well clinch the deal with exceptional candidates.
Improved recruitment and retention rates
Up to 45% of UK job seekers value a business that recognises the importance of social responsibility above one that offers a high salary [3]. They will look to work with an organisation that has a good reputation for looking after its workforce, offering flexible working opportunities and valuing the physical and mental health of its employees.
Implementing an appropriate employee wellness program will invariably enhance the appeal of your organisation at every stage of the recruitment process whilst maximising retention rates among existing personnel who will feel valued and proud of the role that they fulfil and of your organisation itself.
Make it easy to make healthy decisions
The first step to embedding a culture of employee wellbeing in the workplace is to make it easy for staff to access. Identify the behaviours that you wish to change, and reward staff for making the right decisions.
This may be as simple as replacing the coffee machine with a fresh juice dispenser or the communal box of doughnuts with a fruit bowl. In making it easy for staff to make good health decisions, you can immediately begin to influence their physical health.
Access to healthcare
Persistent absenteeism can reduce the productivity and profitability of any business [4]. The workload is borne by an under-resourced team, who are, in turn, increasingly likely to experience poor mental health and reduced morale; a situation which can rapidly escalate. You are left paying the salary of a team member who is not present and may be faced with the additional cost of onboarding temporary staff to cover the absence.
The solution can be to offer access to funded healthcare, reducing absenteeism by addressing the root cause of an employee's absence where it is related to a medical issue. The cost of healthcare is often far less than the cost of absenteeism and recruitment, delivering a positive cost benefit to your business.
Direct access to support
In many cases, staff who are identified as being unproductive are either suffering from health conditions or a lack of training and support in fulfilling their role. In providing them with a route to seek the support that they need, your business can provide the training that is needed for them to navigate their duties with ease, or the medical support or mental health counselling that they need to thrive.
Providing a confidential outlet for staff to seek the support they need will improve morale. Your team will feel valued and the business will see an improvement in productivity and performance.
Promote an active lifestyle
Your leadership team can promote the importance of an active lifestyle through leading by example. When managers take a lunchtime walk in the fresh air, eat healthy meals, or engage in fitness activities, it normalises this behaviour and provides a clear indication that this is acceptable - and desirable - behaviour for others to emulate.
Businesses that promote a healthy lifestyle regularly report enhanced levels of organisational performance [5].
Choosing your employee wellbeing program
If you are unsure how to choose an employee wellbeing program or need support in implementing an appropriate solution to address your business's needs, please contact Terryberry today for a demonstration of how our team can help your team to thrive.
Resources:
[1] https://www.forbes.com/sites/pragyaagarwaleurope/2018/08/29/how-to-create-a-positive-work-place-culture/
[2] https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/bulletins/jobsandvacanciesintheuk/march2023
[3] https://www.hrreview.co.uk/hr-news/workplace-culture-attracts-talent-more-than-salary-or-flexibility/147589
[4] https://www.ohbm.co.uk/what-are-the-effects-of-sickness-absence-on-your-workplace/
[5] https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/importance-promoting-healthy-lifestyle-workplace-ali-akbar?trk=pulse-article_more-articles_related-content-card