By integrating workplace wellbeing into your strategy, you can boost morale, productivity and employee satisfaction. Tara Lochery explains how
Workplace wellness has never been more important as companies increasingly recognise the benefits to their business. And it’s no surprise, given that over the course of our lifetime we spend an average of 90,000 hours at work. With work being such a huge part of lives, it’s crucial that it supports, rather than hinders, our physical and mental wellbeing.
Make sure workplace wellbeing is firmly on your agenda as it really does make a difference for everyone in the organisation
When we are happy and healthy, we are far more likely to be creative, switched on and perform at our best. This in turn can reduce sick days – especially relevant considering the average number of sick days taken per worker in the UK rose to 5.7 in2022, up from 4.6 days the previous year.
In this context, understanding the five established pillars of wellbeing is more important than ever. In this article, I’ll explore each pillar and share some of the initiatives we use in my workplace.
1) Physical wellbeing
This, as the name suggests, covers aspects of physical health such as nutrition and diet, exercise, fitness and, crucially, sleep. If we follow a healthy diet, exercise regularly and sleep well, we are more likely to stay in good health and avoid health conditions and chronic illness. It’s therefore important for companies to ensure that employees have access to opportunities to eat well and exercise. This doesn’t have to mean a state-of-the-art gym, but people should feel that they can take their lunch break and go for a walk if they wish.
2) Emotional wellbeing
When we are stressed and unhappy our ability to cope with challenging situations both in and out of the workplace decreases. Feeling happy and resilient is just as important as physical wellbeing. This could include counselling services, flexible working arrangements as well as creating a supportive work environment where people feel rewarded and recognised for their achievements, however big or small.
3) Social wellbeing
This area of wellbeing is how we interact with others and how we feel we fit in socially at work. If we feel isolated and lonely, this is counter-productive to working at our best. Feeling supported and part of a team is a vital part of a happy working life. There are many ways employers can help with this by organising teambuilding days and events, ensuring good policies are in place to deal with any conflicts, and offering opportunities to work in the local community or with local charities.
4) Intellectual wellbeing
This area of wellbeing is focused on how we grow and develop new skills and knowledge at work. When we’re encouraged to be creative and curious, it can greatly enhance our intellectual wellbeing. It helps our mental health in a positive way and helps to prevent mental decline. This is where companies can help with training and development programmes, promoting continuous professional development and also encouraging hobbies, sports and interests outside of the work environment.
5) Digital wellbeing
Modern technology has enabled us all to work more flexibly than ever before with hybrid ways of working now being widely accepted. However, the flip side is a tendency to feel that we are always available and online. This feeling that there is no ‘off switch’ and that emails and messenger apps are pinging us constantly, can create increased pressure. It’s important that employees feel they can switch off from emails and messages, and understand where the boundaries lie to achieve work-life balance.
How to do this at work
We bring this to life for our people with support for mental health and wellbeing of our employees, such as access to a health app from day one of employment. Through this app they can make a GP appointment, do a wellbeing check, obtain fitness and lifestyle discounts, and access self-help workbooks, a range of self-support podcasts, and legal factsheets.
This is just the tip of the iceberg as we fully commit to things like International Happiness at Work Week where our people write Kudos notes on heart-shaped sticky notes across our four offices in the UK and the United States. We have formed a Wellbeing Committee, which is made up of our Mental Health First Aiders – 10 people who meet once every two months to plan initiatives we will work on over the coming months.
We also support seasonal days and weeks in the calendar with our events. For example, on World Sleep Day we run sleep seminars; during Mental Health Awareness Week we promote our Mental Health First Aiders; and on World Thank You Day our Directors made a thank-you video for staff. We also support Macmillan Coffee Morning and Time to Talk Day.
Make sure workplace wellbeing is firmly on your agenda as it really does make a difference for everyone in the organisation.
Tara Lochery is Group People Director at Stiltz Ltd
