Did you know? “One in four Australian workers (25%) would sacrifice company perks for better wellbeing in their workplace and one in five workers would sacrifice a promotion (21%) or a pay rise (19%). Stressed workers would more readily sacrifice company perks (28%) and a pay rise (27%) for better wellbeing in their workplace” (McMillan, 2017 Workplace Wellbeing). Implementing a workforce wellbeing program can be one of the levers organisations can pull to help their teams thrive. See below some suggested actions organisations can take in order to help improve wellbeing of their workforce. Offer Health and Wellness Benefits Providing resources for employees to engage in health and wellness activities is a common way of supporting employee wellbeing. This may be in the form of onsite workout facilities (Google, Hootsuite, Adidas), gym discounts, team fitness activities (e.g., step challenges, team games, sports days), or just encouraged scheduling of regular fitness time in the calendar. To address mental wellbeing, several companies such as Yahoo, Google, Nike, Pearson, and Salesforce offer onsite meditation rooms for their employees to rejuvenate their mind and body (MarketWatch, 2018). Providing access to, or encouraging use of, apps like Insight Timer, Headspace and Smiling Mind are another way to offer these services remotely. Setting Priorities and Boundaries One of the most common factors impacting wellbeing is workplace burnout. This can be prevented by setting realistic goals for your employees, helping to provide time management tools and training, helping employees set healthy work-life boundaries and respecting these boundaries. Being clear on priorities and setting realistic deadlines are also key. These things are easier said than done, but as burnout continues to rise after a challenging 2020, Managers and employees alike would benefit from new tools to maintain energy in the workplace. Addressing employee engagement Studies reveal that highly engaged teams tend to be 21% more profitable than non-engaged teams (Forbes, 2019). Understanding the level of engagement and the factors causing these levels is just the start; being able to create and implement plans that address underlining issues of engagement is crucial to engendering positive change. Learning and Development From financial education to physical and mental health education, employers can provide individuals access to training that improves their personal wellbeing as well as their professional wellbeing. Access to Professional Support Many companies offer employee support programs to provide critical professional services in times of difficulty. Whilst very important in a time of crisis, these services can also be beneficial for everyday mental health. To improve uptake of these services, organisations would benefit from reinforcing anonymity and suggesting commonplace uses to remove any barriers and stigma from utilising these services. Social wellbeing Managing your employees remotely can mean employees may sense a feeling of isolation or disconnection. This should be considered in a change communication and engagement plan – being sure that both formal communication forums (such as Town Halls, team off-sites) and informal social interactions (e.g., social events) allow for authentic social connection. Games such as fun questions, guessing games, and personality quizzes can help provide icebreakers that break monotony and promote camaraderie among employers. Time Breaks. Time off. Annual Leave. These are all important factors supporting health and wellbeing. One of the easiest things organisations can do to support overall wellbeing is to provide the time for employees to reenergise and renew. Whilst there are no quick fixes or silver bullets to address wellbeing in the workplace, the list above provides a few examples of what organisations can do to address employee wellbeing. Managers must set an example, to provide the permission for others to do the same. And we all must take action to ensure wellbeing strategies and programs come off the shelf and become part of our everyday lives. Collagis is committed to helping businesses like yours to optimise workforce and organisational effectiveness. We'd love to share with you how we can help you address workplace wellbeing in your workplace. Links to references Forbes. (2019, January 16). 10 Timely Statistics About The Connection Between Employee Engagement And Wellness. https://www.forbes.com/sites/nazbeheshti/2019/01/16/10-timely-statistics-about-the-connection-between-employee-engagement-and-wellness/?sh=1ad465c422a0 Forbes. (2020, July 13). Amazon Stock Is At An All-Time High, But Will It Grow Any More? https://www.forbes.com/sites/greatspeculations/2020/07/13/amazon-stock-is-at-an-all-time-high-but-will-it-grow-any-more/#4732eacc59ef MarketWatch. (2018, October 26). Meditation rooms are the hottest new work perk. https://www.marketwatch.com/story/meditation-rooms-are-the-hottest-new-work-perk-2018-10-26#:~:text=Pearson%20isn't%20alone%3A%20In,can%20take%20free%20meditation%20courses. As we face ongoing uncertainty in the aftermath of 2020, organisations need to pay additional attention to factors influencing individual and team wellbeing. As Leaders we need to be mindful of these factors and be proactive in how we manage them to mitigate their impact in this new reality. Whilst not exhaustive, here are some of those key factors that are influencing wellbeing. Financial Insecurity One of the major factors influencing employee wellbeing and productivity is financial insecurity. The present adverse market conditions have instilled the fear of losing jobs and facing an increasingly difficult job market. This mental anxiety impacts employee productivity and employee engagement. These feelings of financial insecurity can also be created by major transformation programs. Organisations going through times of high turn-over and major transformations need to go that extra mile to address employee concerns. Transparency and open communication are vital in helping alleviate the impact on workplace wellbeing of these major changes. Empathy and mindfulness are also critical to maintaining employee engagement during difficult times. Workplace Environment As remote working arrangements become more prevalent, organisations need to consider how the home office environment is optimised for wellbeing. Ventilation and natural lighting play an important role in how your employees feel while at work. Meanwhile, sitting for long hours in the same place can result in lower concentration levels, higher blood pressure, obesity, and several other health concerns (Mayo Clinic, 2020). After addressing aspects of the physical environment, organisations also need to re-consider diary management and meeting agendas to include regular mandatory breaks so that employees can walk away from their desks and screens. The Silo Culture Workplaces with a silo mentality make it difficult for employees to contribute their very best, jeopardising organisational efficiency and employee wellbeing. Breaking down silos through creating a unified vision and common goals can be part of the solution to addressing a silo culture. Unhealthy Lifestyle Each year, Australian employers incur indirect losses to the tune of $637 million due to obesity. Unhealthy eating habits and a highly sedentary lifestyle are impacting the health and wellbeing of employees, and in turn their productivity in the workplace. Long working hours The expectation for employees to work for long hours and be always on as a by-product of remote working, is resulting in employee burnout. (University of California, 2020) In fact, the WHO has included employee burnout under the 11th Revision of the International Classification of Diseases, as a non-medical health condition (The WHO, 2019). Knowing these common factors, what actions can you take to help mitigate the negative impacts on wellbeing in your workplace? It could be a culture program to improve transparency or change management, or it could be a work-life balance initiative like an extra day off or a team fitness activity. Whatever it may be, being intentional and proactive is an important first step in driving healthier and happier workplaces. Collagis is committed to helping businesses like yours to optimise workforce and organisational effectiveness. We'd love to share with you how we can help you address wellbeing in your workplace. Links to References Mayo Clinic. (2020, August 21). What are the risks of sitting too much? Retrieved December 07, 2020, from Mayo Clinic: https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/expert-answers/sitting/faq-20058005 The WHO. (2019, May 28). Burn-out an "occupational phenomenon": International Classification of Diseases. Retrieved December 10, 2020, from The WHO: https://www.who.int/news/item/28-05-2019-burn-out-an-occupational-phenomenon-international-classification-of-diseases University of California. (2020, September 3). Job burnout is a billion-dollar problem. Can we fix it, despite COVID-19? Retrieved December 10, 2020, from University of California: https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/job-burnout-billion-dollar-problem-can-we-fix-it-despite-covid-19 How we invest in human capital at this time may prove the difference between businesses that stand the test of time and those that do not. Here are some of the key benefits of investing in the physical and mental wellbeing of your workforce and how that translates into higher productivity. Better Health, Better Performance Studies have shown that high wellbeing correlates with many individual traits that influence ability to work cooperatively as part of a team. Wellbeing has been shown to make employees more productive (Roberston, 2011), with those individuals with high wellbeing more likely to be rated as ‘high performance’ by their supervisors and to achieve a better financial performance (Wu, H et al 2016). Research has also shown that happy workers are healthier workers (Oswald, 2016). Those with higher levels of wellbeing tend to bounce back from negative events faster and experience a lesser decrease in their mental health when encountering a potentially stressful or challenging situation compared to their less-happy counterparts (Tay, L., & Diener, E. 2011). Lower rate of Absenteeism In Australia alone, employees take around 8.8 days of unscheduled leave annually, costing the economy over $44 billion dollars per year (Food Mag, 2018). Heightened individual wellbeing has been shown to correlate with lower levels of absenteeism, and reduced interruptions to collaborative projects in the workplace. (Jones et al, 2018). Lower rate of Presenteeism We often get to hear about the downside of absenteeism, but seldom do we discuss presenteeism which can be equally or at times even more disruptive to a business. Presenteeism refers to the periods when your employees come to work despite mental or physical illnesses. It is the state during which they are not in the mental and physical condition to deliver optimal performance. Presenteeism costs businesses up to 57.5 days in lost productivity each year, which is much higher than the 4 days lost due to absenteeism (HRD, 2020). Reports indicate that Australia alone pays a price of $34 million annually due to lost productivity caused by presenteeism (ABC News, 2016). Profit Maximisation Employees working in an environment where they feel valued and heard are 4.6 times more likely to deliver their best (Forbes, 2019). This is because people are more collaborative than ever before and give a hundred percent when they feel they are working ‘with an organisation’ rather than ‘for an organisation’. Studies highlight the strong correlation between employee wellbeing and productivity at work:
Workplace wellbeing initiatives can help to foster a work environment in which employees can thrive. It aligns the values of individual employees with organisational goals, which eventually translates into business benefits such as better performance, productivity and increased profits. Collagis is committed to helping businesses like yours to optimise workforce and organisational effectiveness. We'd love to share with you how we can help you address wellbeing in your workplace. Links to references
Food Mag. (2018, April 09). The cost of absenteeism. Retrieved December 10, 2020, from FoodMag: https://foodmag.com.au/the-cost-of-absenteeism/#:~:text=On%20average%2C%20Australian%20employees%20take,%2444%20billion%20per%20year2. Oswald, A. J., Proto, E., & Sgroi, D. (2015). Happiness and productivity. Journal of Labor Economics, 33(4), 789-822. Tay, L., & Diener, E. (2011). Needs and subjective wellbeing around the world. Journal of personality and social psychology, 101(2), 354 Wu, H., Sears, L. E., Coberley, C. R., & Pope, J. E. (2016). Overall wellbeing and supervisor ratings of employee performance, accountability, customer service, innovation, prosocial behavior, and selfdevelopment. Journal of occupational and environmental medicine, 58(1), 35. Workplace wellbeing refers to everything that creates a favourable work atmosphere for employees to thrive in and deliver their very best. It includes the implementation of safety measures, physical safety, peace of mind, work hours, employee physical and mental health, and also how employees feel about their work and workplace (The ILO, 2020). Over the past decade, employers in Australia have realised the significance of employee health and wellbeing. In fact, there has been a higher emphasis in recent times on the importance of mental health, which was earlier largely overlooked. According to a Beyond Blue survey, over 91% of Australian employers now agree that mental wellbeing is important, and this is slightly more than the 88% who agree that physical wellbeing is (Beyond Blue, 2020). The same study also shows the impacts of recent mental health trends on the workplace. It shows that one in every five Australian employees has claimed at least one day sick leave due to mental health conditions during the previous twelve months. Whilst workplace wellbeing has always played a pivotal role in ensuring optimal utilisation of human resources (Nordea, 2020), its importance since the 2020 pandemic cannot be overlooked. How we invest in human capital at this time may prove the difference between businesses that stand the test of time and those that do not. Our people survived through 2020, holding on to optimism that things will eventually return to normal. As 2021 is upon us, and a new normal emerges, are we prepared to help our employees thrive in this new world? Collagis is committed to helping businesses like yours to optimise workforce and organisational effectiveness. We'd love to share with you how we can help you address workplace wellbeing. References:
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