How you are looking after your employees is more important than ever. With so much talk around workplace wellbeing, burnout, stress and the benefits that employers offer, it is a key factor that employees consider when deciding whether to stay with their current employer or move elsewhere and it is a large pull in attracting new talent.
Also, when employees feel stressed or overworked, they can take time off work and become disengaged, which can result in low quality work. On the other hand, healthy and engaged employees are more likely to go the extra mile and perform very well.
Therefore, it’s vital that employers dedicate time and resources to employee wellbeing, for the benefit of staff and for the business itself.
So, what steps can you take to maximise employee wellbeing?
- Health benefits:
- Provide an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) – An employee assistance programme is a confidential service which provides support to your staff with their mental or physical wellbeing, helping them to deal with personal or workplace problems. These types of services are free for staff to use and can provide assessments, short-term counselling and referrals for employees. Often the support is available 24/7. These packages are widely available for employers to purchase
- Health Cash Plans – A cash plan scheme allows employees to claim money back for common health expenses often including dental treatment, the costs of glasses and contact lenses, prescriptions, chiropody, and treatments such as physiotherapy, chiropractic and osteopathic treatment. Employers usually pay for these schemes through a monthly or annual premium and there are options for employees to cover themselves and family members
- Death in Service/Life Assurance Schemes – These schemes are designed to pay out a sum of money to the dependants of employees if they die while working for the employer. The schemes do not require employees to die at work but rather the employee must still be employed by the employer offering the benefit at the time
- Team Building
- It’s important not to underestimate the value of friendships and relationships to wellbeing. We all need someone to speak to at work if the day is not going well and it can just make the working day more fun. Therefore, employers should consider taking time out of the busy work schedule for employees to get to know each other through regular social or team-building activities. These don’t need to be extravagant days out; it could be a boardgame session over lunch or walking groups and reading clubs. If employees have good friends at work, they are also found to be more engaged and successful
- Work Environment
- Employers should ensure that they have a working environment that employees would want to be in. Nobody wants to sit in an uncomfortable, unwelcoming office, day in and day out. Is it possible to create a collaborative area where employees can gather to share ideas or a communal lunch area to allow employees to get away from their desks? A clean and tidy space with good lighting and comfortable seating is key to any workspace (as well as from a health and safety perspective)! Providing an enjoyable workspace improves employee wellbeing and engagement, and can be a great tool for recruiting and retaining staff
It’s clear that it is not just health benefits or expensive changes that can enhance employee wellbeing, and employers should be taking a rounded approach to the question of staff welfare. From small changes in the workplace to support schemes and staff get-togethers, there are many steps that employers can take to ensure they are on the right track.
If you have any questions relating to workforce wellbeing or employee support, please do not hesitate to contact a member of the AfterAthena team (part of the Napthens Group).
