Let’s be honest: many people struggle with the return to work after Christmas. A slight case of the January Blues is normal – especially when coping with the early mornings, chilly weather or an annoying cold! But sometimes low spirits in the office are indicative of something much more serious: poor employee well-being.
Many business owners believe that the personal lives of their employees should stay separate from the workplace. Whilst this is true to an extent, research shows that high employee well-being increases performance and productivity. This means that employee well-being isn’t just a personal issue, it’s something that can impact your entire company – and its success.
Employee well-being
Research has shown that employee well-being can directly correlate with KPIs. For example, employee satisfaction positively correlates with customer loyalty and negatively correlates with staff turnover – factors reflected in the higher profitability of business units. As former leader of Starbucks Howard Schultz once said: “happy employees = happy customers”.
This aligns with the human relations theory, which associates higher employee well-being with higher morale: leading to higher productivity. The emotions theory also reflects this, arguing that positive emotions lead to heightened motivation and therefore better work.
It’s evident that positive employee well-being is key to your business, but what exactly is employee well-being?
Employee well-being refers to the overall health of an employee: mental health, physical health and satisfaction within the workplace.
Physical health
Physical health difficulties can exhibit in all kinds of ways. Employees may suffer from chronic health conditions, flare-ups, or occasional bouts of sickness. Providing support for employees with physical health difficulties is crucial to maintaining a consistent level of productivity.
Mental health
As is far more understood now, health issues aren’t always physical. Mental health difficulties can easily go undetected, despite the huge impact they can have. Some key indicators to look out for are an increase in absences, a sudden drop in performance, and isolation from the rest of the team.
Strategies to increase employee well-being
Employee well-being is influenced by how your staff are supported in the workplace. Comprehensive well-being strategies create a culture where employees feel they are supported to perform meaningful work. These strategies have been shown to positively impact overall firm performance.
Workplace culture
Perhaps the easiest way to support employee well-being, regardless of circumstance, is to encourage a culture of open communication and support in your workplace. This positive atmosphere can boost morale and encourage employees to seek support where necessary. A shift in workplace culture can be a relatively simple, unified approach that boosts overall performance. Although if you think you will find it more of a challenge, please reach out to us.
Flexible working hours
Flexible working is a recent trend that boasts a surprising amount of benefits, especially for employee well-being. It is not synonymous with home working, it could be as little as a change to start/finish times or as big as a job share.
Reduced commuting time and an improved work-life balance can be beneficial to employees with health difficulties, whilst encouraging an increased, streamlined approach to productivity. Flexible working is shown to reduce rates of absence – driving productivity and results.
It is not appropriate for every company or role, and you do have a right to refuse it when requested – as long as you follow the correct process.
Mental health resources
Implementing mental health resources into your workplace can be a valuable investment: increasing morale, attracting talented new employees, and reducing turnover rates. There’s a variety of different resources you could include, from counselling services, mental health apps, support groups or training up a mental health first-aider.
Wellness programmes
Another way to boost the general well-being of employees is through wellness programmes via your employee benefits. Wellness programmes can take many forms, from gym schemes and wellness talks to team building activities. This is a great way to boost morale and overall commitment towards your company mission.
Next steps
It’s clear that having a comprehensive well-being strategy is crucial for increasing employee well-being and ultimately boosting your business.
However, it can be hard to know where to start with implementing a well-being strategy – especially when you’re already busy running your company. That’s where we come in.
At The HR Dept, we’re here to support you on all HR related issues: providing cost-effective solutions to help you stay up to date with compliance and provide you with valuable peace of mind.
Get in touch today to see how we can help support well-being in your workplace.