How Employers Can Help Employees Well-Being
As an employer, it may not always seem like your job to manage the health and well-being of your staff outside of the workplace. However it is fast becoming accepted that the better staff are taken care of, the better their overall health and well-being then the better they will perform within the workplace and the greater job satisfaction they are likely to get. Although there may be some blurred lines between personal and professional care playing an active role in your employee’s well-being will only serve to help your business in the long run. So whether you offer digital advertising or manufacturing here are some ways employers can help improve the well-being of their employees.
Flexible working
If the job role allows for it, can you offer flexible working? If staff are not required to be in the workplace at the set and certain times daily should they be? Everyone has lives to lead, school runs, medical appointments, houses to sell, relatives to care for, young children, everyone has a life outside of the office yet it is always the presence in the office that takes priority. If your staff are able to work remotely when their children are sick or start a little later one day because they have a doctor’s appointment then why not let them? Having trust in your employees to complete their work in ‘non-traditional’ hours will go a long way to improve relations between employee and employer and can lead to more productivity from the workforce. Not to mention the hugely positive impact it will have on the employee’s jobs satisfaction.
Prioritizing Health
Having a healthy workforce will only serve you in the long run as unhealthy or unwell staff are unable to work. Taking proactive steps to help improve the health of your staff is a great way to lead by example and encourage healthy practices. You could encourage cycling or walking to work by offering a secure bike lock-up or financial incentives. You could stock the communal areas or food facilities with healthy options or encourage staff to take breaks and go on short walks in the fresh air during their lunch. One of the most recent initiatives that employers have undertaken is to offer free Covid testing and if you are unable to do this help point them in the direction of services such as Brad Schaeffer’s MedComp Sciences. Other options could include reduced gym membership costs or offering wellness incentives that prioritize mental health.
Encourage Praise Culture
Employees want to feel valued for the work they do. Encouraging a positive atmosphere of gratitude and praise can go a long way to improving staff morale, productivity, and individual well-being. If a member of staff has done a good job, tell them that and thank them for it. Just that act of appreciation can change someone’s outlook or mood that day - the seemingly little things can go a long way. Conversely, if staff feel under-appreciated and undervalued not only will they not be motivated it could well be impacting their mental health and well-being also.
