Deep Dive into Workplace Wellbeing

Advice Employer

In today's dynamic corporate landscape, workplace health and wellbeing has emerged as a critical area of focus and hot topic of conversation. Many businesses offer a vast range of different wellness initiatives to support their people from physical, mental, financial to work-life balance and flexi-working – all contributing to an employee’s holistic well-being.

Corporate wellness programmes have existed since the late 1800s and have undergone significant changes in recent times. What was once considered a “nice-to-have” perk has now evolved into a “must-have” benefit for employers looking to attract and retain top talent in a competitive job market.

The rise of these wellness programmes marks a key shift towards building a workforce that is healthy, successful, and productive. By implementing these innovative workplace strategies, employers can foster a nurturing and supportive environment, boosting job satisfaction, driving organisational success and creating a culture of health.

Although corporate wellness programmes can effectively improve employee health, they should not be solely relied upon as a sole solution. Its key to ensure your organisation takes a deep dive into health and wellbeing that addresses the root cause of health issues in your workplace.

This article explores some of the underlying health issues such as stress and burnout in the workplace and how to create a supportive environment for your staff facing these core challenges. Organisations can have all the innovative and trendy benefits on offer, but it isn’t until these core health issues become solution-focused that they will truly reap the benefits.

Stress

There are several statistics that allude to the effect stress has on workplace wellness. Research indicates that in 2021 work-related stress, depression or anxiety accounted for 50% of all work-related ill-health and more than half of the survey respondents said they often skip lunch because of their job stress and demands. While having some challenge at work can be positive, work-related stress can be a risk to your mental and physical health. Fortunately, there are things you can do as an organisation to reduce levels of stress in your workplace:

• Create a supportive workplace - positive communication based on respect, builds trust and collaboration and is a vital part of creating a healthy and safe work environment. Create an encouraging work culture, where staff feel it is okay to speak up at work when they feel stressed and discuss what is happening in the workplace, without the fear of getting into trouble or being perceived as unable to cope or perform.
• Be open and flexible - workplaces can offer a safe space for their staff, especially if personal situations or events outside of work are causing stress and worry. Talk to your staff about how you can support them best; whether it be making changes in responsibilities/duties, offering flexible hours, opportunities for time out/leave etc.
• Educate staff - teach ways to approach stress such as looking after your wellbeing, identifying stressors and finding solutions that help resolve the causes of stress.
• Get yourself right - if you are a manager or business owner, it’s important to realise the impact of stress not only on yourself but also the trickle-down effect it creates on your team and customers. Leaders often try to juggle everything and figure it all out on their own, but it’s important to remember that seeking support and asking for help when you need it is OK.
• Assess your systems and resources - if the current systems, processes and ways of working are causing a lot of stress for your team, this is a signal for change. If workloads are high, consider adding additional headcount or look for resourcing to support. Assess if you and your staff are focusing on the right priorities or if there are more efficient ways of getting the work done that might relieve some of the pressure. Perhaps it might be time to put new systems in place or change the ones that are no longer working.

Burnout

Sustained, or high levels of work-related stress can lead to burnout, which is when you’re emotionally, physically or mentally exhausted. People who are burnt out often feel negative or cynical about their jobs and may not be able to perform to the best of their ability.

One of the contributing factors to someone feeling burnt out is a stressful work environment. Here are some key strategies to prevent employee burnout:

• Keep your workload and capacity in balance - e.g. planning your work, delegating tasks, and saying no is necessary when you have too much on your plate.
• Feeling out of control - a lack of autonomy, and inadequate resources impact your ability to succeed at what you are doing and contribute to burnout. Consider how you can regain control over your environment.
• Building a cohort - investing time and energy in strengthening the bonds you share with your team and creating a sense of community is essential to feeling supported. Positive group morale, where you can rely on one other, can make the team more robust and reduce the likelihood of burnout.
• Task balancing - after delivering something highly demanding, it may be beneficial to switch to a less complex task. Swapping between tasks of varying difficulty can be an excellent way to regain balance and give yourself a break.
• Mental breaks - we sometimes feel unable to stop, but taking time out for yourself is crucial to your wellbeing and will ultimately benefit your performance. While it can seem essential when you are busy to keep pushing ahead, it is vital to take breaks. Use spare time to read a book, listen to music, talk to a friend or run through breathing exercises.
• Physical breaks - stress and tension take their toll physically. Learning to recognize times when you are most stressed or anxious can help. Mindfulness techniques can be incredibly helpful in hitting reset and regaining focus.

Businesses are increasingly recognizing the importance of employee wellness but it is vital to remember that creating a culture of health is not a trend or tick box matter.

Providing your team with a safe and healthy workplace is an important part of running a business. Employers who have shifted their focus to the core health issues of their workforce genuinely care about their employees’ well-being and understand the necessity of a healthy workforce for the mutual success of their employees and their organisation. By nurturing these aspects, organisations enhance employee satisfaction and boost productivity, foster a positive workplace culture and retain top talent.