Prioritizing Employee Wellbeing: The Key to a Happy and Productive Workplace
(source - linkedin.com)
What is employee wellbeing?
Employee wellbeing refers to the physical, mental, and emotional health of employees in the workplace. It includes a wide range of factors that contribute to an employee's overall health and happiness together with job satisfaction, work-life balance, stress levels, physical health, and mental health. Employee wellbeing is an important aspect of workplace culture and organizations that prioritize employee wellbeing are likely to have more engaged, productive, and loyal employees.
(Source - hr.mcleanco.com)
According to Gallup researchers, employee wellbeing includes five Essential Elements (gallup.com,2010)
Career Well-Being
Career well-being refers to the satisfaction and fulfillment an individual experiences in their selected career or profession. It is the sense of purpose and engagement that an individual feels in their work and the alignment of their interests, values, goals and with their job.
Career well-being is often associated with job satisfaction, career advancement, and a sense of accomplishment. It can also include a feeling of self determination and control over one's career path and the ability to develop new skills and knowledge.
Social Well-Being
Social connections and support networks can help individuals feel an intimacy and support, which is essential for overall well-being. Employers can support Social Well-Being by promoting team-building activities, encouraging open communication, and fostering a positive work environment.
Financial Well-Being
Financial well-being refers to an individual's ability to meet their financial needs and feel secure in their financial future. It includes having enough financial resources to meet present and future needs, as well as having a plan for managing money and achieving financial goals.
Financial well-being is important for overall well-being, as financial stress can negatively impact an individual's physical and mental health. It can lead to anxiety, depression, and other health problems.
Physical Well-Being
This includes maintaining a healthy lifestyle, such as getting enough sleep, regular exercises and eating a balanced diet. Employers can support physical health by providing wellness programs, providing options on healthy food and ergonomic workstations.
Community Well-Being
When employees are part of a supportive and thriving community, they tend to have better mental health, higher levels of job satisfaction and a stronger sense of purpose and meaning in their work.
Employers can support community well-being by creating a work environment that encourages social connections and engagement with the local community. This can include hosting volunteer events, sponsoring community activities and providing opportunities for employees to participate in community service initiatives.
Importance of employee wellbeing?
Employee wellbeing is important for several reasons, both for the individual employee and for the organization as a whole.
Firstly, when employees feel well-supported and cared for, they are more likely to be engaged, productive and motivated in their work. This leads to higher job satisfaction, lower turnover rates and improved overall performance of the organization.
Secondly, prioritizing employee wellbeing can lead to a decrease in healthcare costs associated with stress, illness and absenteeism. When employees are healthy and well, they are less likely to take sick days and they may also be less likely to develop chronic health conditions such as diabetes or heart disease.
Thirdly, prioritizing employee wellbeing can help to create a positive workplace culture where employees feel valued and supported. This can lead to a more collaborative and innovative work environment, where employees are more likely to share ideas and work together towards common goals.
Overall, employee wellbeing is important because it contributes to the success of the organization, improves the health and happiness of individual employees and helps to create a positive and supportive workplace culture.
How prioritizing employee wellbeing can benefit your company?
Employers should care about employee wellbeing for several reasons:
Employee Retention:
Employee wellbeing is a crucial factor in employee retention. When employees feel valued, supported, and cared for, they are more likely to stay with the company for the long term. On the other hand, when employees are stressed, overworked and burnt out, they are more likely to leave the company, which can lead to high turnover rates and increased costs associated with recruitment and training.
Productivity and Performance:
Employee wellbeing has a direct impact on employee productivity and performance. When employees are physically and mentally healthy, they are more likely to perform at their best, be engaged in their work, more focused and be more productive. On the other hand, when employees are struggling with stress, anxiety or other mental health issues, their performance and productivity may suffer.
Increased Innovation:
Employees who are healthy and happy are more likely to be creative and innovative which can lead to new ideas and solutions for the company.
Company Reputation:
A company that prioritizes employee wellbeing is more likely to be viewed as a desirable place to work. This can help attract top talent, improve the company's reputation and enhance its overall brand image.
Legal Compliance:
Employers have a legal obligation to provide a safe and healthy workplace for their employees. Failing to prioritize employee wellbeing can lead to legal issues and costly lawsuits.
How to Create an Employee Wellness Program
Creating an employee wellness program can help promote employee health and wellbeing, improve job satisfaction and retention, and reduce healthcare costs. Here are some steps to follow to create an effective employee wellness program:
Define Your Objectives:
Identify the objectives of the program, such as reducing employee stress levels, improving fitness and nutrition, or reducing absenteeism.
Conduct a Needs Assessment:
Conduct a needs assessment to understand the unique needs and challenges facing your workforce. This can include employee surveys, focus groups, and analysis of health data.
Develop a Program Plan:
Develop a program plan that includes goals, strategies, and action steps. This should be based on the needs assessment and aligned with the objectives of the program.
Identify Resources and Support:
Identify the resources and support needed to implement the program, such as funding, staffing, and technology.
Create a Wellness Team:
Create a team responsible for implementing and managing the program. This team should include representatives from different departments and levels of the organization.
Design Program Components:
Design program components that address the identified needs.
Implementing the Program:
The program must be implemented in a way that is engaging, convenient and available for the target audience. This may involve utilizing technology or partnering with external resources.
Measuring Program Outcomes:
It's essential to evaluate the success of the wellness program by measuring outcomes such as improved health metrics, reduced healthcare costs, increased employee productivity and higher job fulfillment.
Continuous Improvement:
A successful wellness program requires ongoing evaluation and improvement to ensure that it continues to meet the developing needs of the target audience.
References
hibob.com (no date) HR Glossary Employee wellbeing [online] Available from https://www.hibob.com/hr-glossary/employee-wellbeing/[Accessed 19 April 2023 ]
hr.mcleanco.com(no date)What to Do About Employee Wellbeing During a Crisis [online] Available from https://hr.mcleanco.com/research/what-to-do-about-employee-wellbeing-during-a-crisis [Accessed 19 April 2023 ]
jotform.com(2021) How to Create an Employee Wellness Program Available from https://youtu.be/Zwj4JpHlLXE[Accessed 19 April 2023 ]
linkedin.com (2021) employee-well-being [online]
Available from https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/importance-employee-well-being-improve-bottom-line-pratiksha-mohanty[Accessed
19 April 2023 ]
Rath, T. &
Harter, J. (2010) The Five Essential Elements of Well-Being
[online] Available from
https://www.gallup.com/workplace/237020/five-essential-elements.aspx [Accessed
19 April 2023 ]
Very interesting article Chandri. Bliss, H. (2022) Although they may not express it at the office, your staff are ready and eager to improve their well-being, which is encouraging given that the overwhelming majority of professionals (94%) are motivated to make positive changes. Unfortunately, many experts just lack the tools necessary to bring about those reforms. Energy levels, activity levels, weight, sleep quality, mental health, and stress all showed up often as areas that employees wanted to improve in our sample. Time is cited by 43% of workers as a deterrent to participating in well-being. In light of this, leaders must make sure that well-being initiatives complement already overburdened schedules rather than adding to them.
ReplyDeleteThank you Piumi for sharing your thoughts on the article, I agree that it is encouraging to know that the majority of professionals are motivated to make positive changes in their well-being. It is unfortunate that many experts lack the necessary tools to bring about those reforms. As leaders, it is essential to ensure that well-being initiatives complement already overburdened schedules rather than adding to them. This requires a thoughtful approach to designing well-being programs that are flexible and can be adapted to meet the needs of employees.
DeleteFurther leaders must also lead by example and prioritize their own well-being. When employees see their leaders prioritizing their well-being, they are more likely to do the same. It is essential to create a culture that helps well-being and encourages employees to take care of themselves.
Hi Chandri, great article. The article provides a comprehensive understanding of employee wellbeing, which includes physical, mental, and emotional health, work-life balance, stress levels, and job satisfaction. It also mentions the five essential elements of employee wellbeing - career, social, financial, physical, and community wellbeing. The article highlights the importance of employee wellbeing, which leads to higher engagement, productivity, and employee retention, as well as a positive workplace culture.
ReplyDeleteGreat job on writing a comprehensive article on employee wellbeing! It's clear that you've done your research and have provided valuable information on the different aspects of employee wellbeing, why it's important, and how it can benefit both employees and the organization as a whole.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate that you have included tips on how to build effective employee wellbeing programs and initiatives, as well as steps to follow when creating an employee wellness program. This provides a useful guide for employers who may be interested in implementing such programs.
Overall, your article is well-structured, informative, and easy to read. It highlights the importance of prioritizing employee wellbeing and provides actionable steps for employers to follow. Keep up the good work!
Its excellent article. WELLBEING SHOULD BE MEASURED IN WHAT WAY? While most people agree that GDP is a useful indicator, some think it's time for alternative metrics to be created in order to give a fuller picture of how well-off one country is in comparison to another. Numerous organizations across many nations monitor social indicators, but more could be needed to fully take wellbeing into account in a holistic way.
ReplyDeleteIn times when many fundamental needs weren't being met, like during the Great Depression, Diener and Seligman contend that economic metrics were a good indicator of how a country was functioning. However, they contend that as countries have grown wealthier and basic requirements have mostly been addressed, economic indices have lost some of their significance for measuring wellbeing. They don't advocate doing away with economic indicators; rather, they advocate adding wellness measures as a supplement to them:
The difference between the economic and well-being metrics shows that well-being indicators provide valuable information that economic indicators do not. Economic development will continue to be a top goal, but it needs to be complemented by policies that will have a greater positive influence on wellbeing.
The well-being of employees is a fascinating HR topic. Although employee well-being will differ from person to person, it should generally average out to a level that permits a successful and healthy workplace. Additionally, external influences affect an employee's wellbeing. The stress associated with things like housing, health, and family all affect how well people perform at work.(Waida, M. 2021) My question to you is:What are the factors affecting employee wellbeing?
ReplyDeleteThank you Jothi for your valuable feedback
ReplyDelete