It is a common error to attribute well-being to one’s physical health only. Once you dig deeper, the meaning of the word branches out to the realms of physical, mental, financial, and social. In order for someone to say that their quality of life is good, they need to feel fulfilled in the areas mentioned above. The most asked question in modern society, where one spends the majority of their waking life at a workspace, is how to achieve that. This question brings the notion of employee well-being into the spotlight. In a healthy organization, employee well-being encompasses the overall mental, physical, emotional, as well as economic health of its staff.
In this article, let us delve into the world of employee well-being, further exploring its meaning, the importance it bears for both the employer and employee, how beneficial it can be, and how to work on its continuous improvement.
What is the meaning of employee well-being?
In its essence, employee well-being represents the bond between a healthy workplace and a satisfactory life. As described, employee well-being focuses on developing an organizational culture that enables employees to thrive, both personally and professionally. Nurturing people beyond their professional responsibilities encapsulates the notion of supporting well-being. A well-organized programme translates into processes and practices that support employees’ mental health, physical wellness, finances, work environment, professional growth, and many more.
To promote employee well-being, companies need to wish for employee health and wellness, as well as encourage mental peace, promote flexible working options, support physical activity, provide relevant assistance services, etc.
Promoting employee wellbeing means embracing more than just conventional healthcare programmes and safety principles. In addition to physical safety, it promotes emotional safety, positive emotional health, growth opportunities, and social relationships.
A business that acknowledges the significance of employee wellbeing is bound to incorporate it into its purpose and ethos.
Why is employee well-being important?
There is no denying the significance emphasised on employee well-being. Employees who are offered supported well-being initiatives tend to perform their day-to-day tasks better, engage more with their co-workers, and remain loyal to their organization/company. Well-being policies at the workplace can enhance productivity, reduce absenteeism, lower employee stress levels, and help prevent burnout.
On the other hand, if an organization neglects employee well-being, it will damage its reputation, cause lesser employee retention, and diminish morale. In high-pressure working environments, prioritizing well-being should be essential, not just as an organizational goal, but as a means of improving all of the aforementioned aspects.
Benefits of employee well-being
Incorporating well-being programmes into a workplace can be beneficial to both parties i.e. employer and employee. And there are a variety of reasons why that is so.
From the point of view of the organization’s employees, promoting well-being can yield the following improvements:
- Increased productivity and morale: For one, physically and mentally feeling ‘good’ makes a person more energetic and focused on the task at hand. They can manage their time better and are capable of performing well over a long period of time.
- Higher employee engagement: A good and supportive environment leads to a more engaged workforce. Such people tend to feel motivated and go out of their way to deliver extra and invest their emotions into their work. According to a study done by Gallup, engaged employees show 21% greater profitability.
- Enhanced mental and physical health: Free health screenings, and counselling services, promote the importance of employees’ health, which alleviates a significant amount of stress off of their shoulders and renders the workplace a better place to be.
As for the employer, the benefits are as follows:
- Improved employee retention: A good work environment is followed by better retention rates too. Employees are more likely to stick around longer with a company that treats them right. As per a Deloitte study, 70% of employees who feel their organization supports their well-being tend to stay loyal to their employer.
- Attracting talent: Organizations that value their own employees will allure new talented workers to join.
- Increased quality of customer service: With healthier personnel comes enhanced customer service. In general, customers who see that an organization values their personnel, are more likely to choose that organization to do business with.
How to measure employee well-being?
No matter if an organization is just starting to implement well-being programmes, or if it wants to improve on the current ones, there is a plethora of methods that can give a comprehensive insight into employee wellbeing.
- Questionnaires: Periodical surveys can assess how employees are feeling and what they need at the given moment. These surveys can have a wide range of questions regarding stress, communication, resources, management etc. According to the survey findings an organization can initiate new well-being programmes or change old ones, all in respect to their employees.
- Managerial assessments: It’s important to empower managers to freely and informally talk with their teams in order to assess their well-being. These discussions should concern not only work-related issues but those of personal nature too. Managers should be equipped to address particular indicators of stress or burnout and to manage such situations.
- Absenteeism and Turnover Rates: Increased levels of employees who either leave the organization or are absent from work too often, could signify low well-being. These measurements, when analyzed over a certain length of time, can aid in determining underlying problematic areas within departments or teams.
- Health and mental assessments: Regular health screenings in areas such as stress management, sleep quality, or nutrition can give an insight into the employees’ health and how it is correlated with their work.
- Continuous Feedback Opportunities: Collect and respond to employee feedback on an ongoing basis. Employees, knowing that there is a channel for communicating issues where they feel they can be heard, is an excellent motivator. This could take the form of suggestion boxes, feedback forums, or even monthly meetings. The feedback can, but doesn’t need to be anonymous. Although employees, in such situations, frequently feel more confident in sharing their views in anonymity.
How to improve employee well-being
Always refining well-being is a continual effort for every workplace as there are unique approaches to each individual. Nevertheless, here are some suggestions on how to do so.
- Help With Work-Life Balance Incorporation: Allow employees to take breaks during work hours. Set boundaries around work hours, as in do not expect them to be readily available to work-related issues when they are off the clock. And finally, offer other forms of flexible working such as an opportunity to work remotely. All these play a role in preventing burnout.
- Assist With Mental Health: This could include offering days off. Providing assistance programmes led by registered mental-health professionals, can positively impact employee ability to tackle issues regarding their mental health.
- Foster a Positive Work Environment: Stated wins on their own are not enough, encourage recognition for appreciating achievements to improve motivation to further perform, as such help achieve set goals.
- Encourage Physical Wellness: Supply public health domains with membership to gyms, standing desks, or through wellness challenges to help cut down sick leaves, and improve the overall wellness levels.
- Support Financial Well-being: Provide retirement planning services or payments that are fair, as well as benefit packages. Financial issues can create an excessive amount of anxiety for workers, and guiding them through their financial journeys can alleviate a lot of stress.
- Foster Career Development: Provide advanced training, mentorship, and well-defined career pathways to enable employee growth.
In the end, when it comes to improving well-being, the most important aspect is personalization. Pay attention to what your employees request and how they want you to solve the problem, and adjust it accordingly.