The pandemic has shown us that work, and home life is embroiled. Organisations and managers now have consideration for people’s commitments outside of work, and the impact these can have on an employee’s health and wellbeing.
As we continue to adapt to new ways of working it is important to look at areas in the organisation that may be causing unnecessary stress, as well as providing the support and resources employees need to make informed choices about their own health and wellbeing.
Whilst many organisations adopt a wellbeing program because it is the right thing to do, research shows that higher levels of employee wellbeing are strongly linked with higher organisational success (International Labour Organization).
How organisations can devise a comprehensive Wellbeing Strategy:
Gain an understanding of what needs to be done.
Organisations need to review what they are doing to both support and hinder their employee wellbeing and look at how these can be improved. Employees also need to be asked about their own level of wellbeing, assessing the different aspects of wellbeing such as physical, emotional, mental, work, financial, and social. This level of detail enables the organisation to commit resources that will have the biggest positive impact, on both the organisation and their employees.
Organisational performance is impacted by both the individual (bottom-up) and the organisation (top-down). When building an organisational wellbeing strategy, you need to consider action in both directions.
Top-down direction creates focus and the conditions for performance improvement:
Successful wellbeing programmes should focus on fostering organisational culture and values. However, 59% of HR leaders say they would like to be able to do more in terms of wellbeing, but company culture prevents it.
Line managers should have the skills and knowledge to support their team’s health and wellbeing. Mental Health Europe found that line manager attitudes towards an employee have a substantial impact on that individual’s mental health.
Improve access to health and wellbeing resources. Ensuring that all employees can access the required information and services as and when needed.
Create a workplace where employees feel safe to speak about their wellbeing
Bottom-up empowers people at all levels to take a fresh approach to solve problems and improve performance.
Employees at all levels should be involved in the development of the wellbeing program.
Collect and publish employee testimonials and anecdotes alongside quantitative KPIs to present a thorough overview and promote the ongoing development of the program and its successes.
If you would like more information and/or a free organisational consultation, contact David on +44 7859 963571 or email sales@executivescience.co.uk
Executive Science works with organisations to develop and embed a wellbeing strategy that is beneficial for both the organisation and their people. For more information, contact us.
