Every August, National Wellbeing Month is celebrated, focusing on stress management, self-care, and physical and mental wellness.
It’s the perfect time to reflect on the importance of employee wellbeing in the workplace. A healthy, happy workforce should be a priority if you want a successful business. Let’s see why:
- According to The Centre of Mental Health, poor mental health costs UK employers around £45 Billion per year in staff turnaround costs, absenteeism, and presenteeism.
- A study by the CIPD found that 27% of employees who’s employees were concerned about their overall wellbeing were more engaged in work.
- The Mental Health Foundation reported that 14% of all workplace absences are due to poor mental health.
So, how can businesses support employees, reduce burnout, and create a positive work environment?
The Importance of Employee Wellbeing
Employee wellbeing generally includes physical health, mental health, job satisfaction, and work-life balance. Employees who feel valued and supported are more productive, engaged, and loyal to your company. And if you don’t prioritise employee wellbeing, this could increase stress, burnout, and higher turnover rates. Currently, only 61% of UK employers have a wellbeing strategy, do you? Keep reading!
What are the signs of burnout?
Burnout is a state of physical and emotional exhaustion often caused by prolonged stress and feeling overworked. It’s not always easy to spot. Still, employers can be more proactive in tackling it by being aware of the signs of workplace burnout.
Common signs include:
- Decreased productivity and performance
- Increased number of absences
- Emotional and physical exhaustion
- Physical symptoms such as headaches or insomnia
- Decreased job satisfaction
Five ways you can prevent employee burnout
There are plenty of ways to create a culture of support to prevent employee burnout. But first, it starts with educating your people. To reduce the risk of burnout and promote employee wellbeing, consider implementing the following strategies:
- Create a Positive Work Environment: Create a workplace culture that values collaboration, growth, transparency and open communication. Support employees with opportunities for open communication; for example, you could start focus groups.
- Promote Work-Life Balance: Encourage employees to take regular breaks, use their annual leave, and avoid excessive overtime (if any at all). Flexible working hours and remote work options can help employees manage their personal and professional lives more easily.
- Provide Mental Health Resources: Offer access to mental health resources such as therapy services, wellbeing programmes, employee assistance programmes, and stress management workshops. Be proactive with conversations around mental health, and educate your people; not everyone will understand. This will help to reduce stigma and encourage employees to seek help when needed.
- Employee Recognition: Acknowledge and reward employees for their hard work and contributions. This can be through formal recognition programmes, bonuses, or simple gestures of appreciation. How nice is it when you receive a coffee voucher or for your favourite store?
- Encourage Professional Development Opportunities: Invest in your employees’ growth by offering training and development opportunities. This will make them feel confident in their roles. Make it so they can openly communicate without fear of judgment. Provide access to opportunities that will enhance their skills and support their career progression.
5 Tips to Support Your Employee Wellbeing
Beyond implementing broader strategies, here are some practical tips and tricks to support your employees on a daily basis. And it doesn’t even need to take up much of your day.
- Regular Check-ins: Schedule one-on-one meetings with team members to discuss their workload, challenges, and wellbeing. This is their time to address their current needs and challenges. Make sure to listen. During the meeting, since it’s the employee’s meeting, the manager should do 10% of the talking and 90% of the listening. Take on board any concerns and offer support where needed.
- Anonymous Feedback Channels: Provide anonymous ways for employees to give feedback about their work environment and management. Not every employee will feel confident voicing their opinions. By making it anonymous, you can create a safe space for employees to express their feelings.
- Team-Building Activities: Hold regular team-building activities to strengthen relationships and increase collaboration. Employee socialisation improves communication by over 50%. These can range from out-of-work social gatherings to structured team-building exercises or group workshops. But make sure you cater to all and don’t just think about what you want to do. Have a poll; ask your people what they’d enjoy doing.
- Be a transparent leader: Keep employees informed about company changes, goals, and expectations. Transparency builds trust and reduces uncertainty, which can often be a key cause of stress at work.
- Promote a speak-up culture: Your employee sees something they don’t like? Encourage them to speak up about it, but in a constructive way. Employees often feel shy about speaking up if they fear the consequences. When employees speak up, companies win.
National Wellbeing Month is an opportunity to discuss employee wellbeing and recognise the importance of creating a supportive workplace.
How can you build an employee wellbeing strategy?
So, how do you create a wellbeing strategy that protects your employees and helps them bring their best selves to work?
Well, the first step in creating a wellbeing strategy involves understanding why wellbeing in the workplace is so important. Now that we’ve got this covered, lets break down the components that create a solid wellbeing strategy.
Gather Data
Get familiar with collecting employee data. Start by understanding your employees’ health, circumstances, and current satisfaction. This can help you determine what to include in your strategy to meet their needs.
The most efficient and unbiased way to collect data is through anonymous surveys. Anonymous surveys are a great way to engage with your employees and gain honest feedback about your current procedures. You’ll get an insight into what they want to see more of. Carrying out surveys anonymously means that employees can freely share their thoughts without fear of retaliation from management. You’ll be able to gather a more accurate understanding of where you currently stand to form your strategy.
Set Goals
With the data collected, it’s time to set goals. Making changes in a business doesn’t happen overnight. Work out from your feedback what the priority is. From there, you can create a roadmap to support your employees on a deeper level. For example, if there is a common theme of high-stress levels in the workplace, then implement a plan into your strategy to reduce stress. Could you look at having a monthly yoga session? Or a meditator to come into the workplace? You don’t need to spend a lot of money on employee wellbeing; it’s about focusing on the needs of your employees.
Get Everyone Involved
Lean on your employees and management to help plan your strategy. This will help determine what your employees would like to see implemented while also making sure leaders are involved in the decision-making process. This collaborative approach will mean that you can create a strategy that proactively supports the needs of all involved.
Take a Holistic Approach
With data gathered, and a plan in place, make sure that you are considering all forms of wellbeing in your strategy. This might include:
- Mental Wellbeing
- Social Wellbeing
- Physical Wellbeing
- Emotional Wellbeing
- Financial Wellbeing
You might want to consider mental health support, financial planning resources, implementing team-building activities and promoting work-life balance. As a result, this could support overall wellbeing in the workplace.
Communicate your Strategy
Once your strategy has been implemented, communicate it to employees in various ways. This might include internal platforms, intranets, staff newsletters, and verbal communication. You can even think outside the box and look for innovative resources like an employee wellbeing hub! Allow employees to ask questions and provide any workshops for platforms associated with the strategy.
Continuously monitor progress
With the strategy now implemented, you need to have a monitoring process in place. This will help you assess whether the new strategy is working and if you need to make any changes. It’s also a key way to understand the overall impact of the new strategy, building the foundation for a happier and more productive workforce.
Case study – A real-life example at Empro
Ashton became a first-time mum in January 2023. Eager to progress in her career, she joined Empro in July 2023. Despite having almost five years of experience in marketing, Ashton had never formally studied the subject and was keen to develop her skills and knowledge at a higher level.
Empro recognised Ashton’s potential and her desire for growth. They committed to supporting her in finding relevant courses that would not only suit her current needs but also allow her to transfer her existing skills into her new role at Empro.
After evaluating various options, Ashton and Empro decided on a Level 3 Digital Marketing course. This course was chosen for its comprehensive curriculum, which aligned with Ashton’s career aspirations and her role at Empro. Empro enrolled Ashton on the course, which she began in November 2023.
Ashton is now halfway through her Level 3 Digital Marketing course and is preparing to sit her first exam. The combined support from her course and mentor has significantly boosted her confidence. Ashton’s newfound skills are not just theoretical; she has already started applying them in her everyday role at Empro. Her practical application of course knowledge has led to noticeable improvements in her performance.
Ashton’s case exemplifies how targeted support and development opportunities can facilitate career growth. Empro’s dedication to employee progression, through educational support and mentorship, has not only enhanced Ashton’s capabilities but also contributed positively to the organisation by nurturing a more skilled and confident employee.
National Wellbeing Month is more than just an annual event; it’s a vital reminder of the ongoing commitment businesses must make to the wellbeing of their employees.
By prioritising physical and mental health, promoting work-life balance, and creating a supportive work environment, is likely to result in and build a more engaged, productive, and loyal workforce. As demonstrated through strategies like Empro’s targeted support for Ashton, investing in employee wellbeing should be a priority for every business!
Remember, a well-supported team is the backbone of any successful business.