Workplace wellness: Employee wellbeing guide

We live in a world filled with stressors at our fingertips. Wars, pandemics, rising inflation, personal crisis – we have plenty of reasons to be stressed!

Personal and work related stress are often interchangeable, indeed, 78% of employees believe that stress from work negatively affects their mental health, with 80% claiming that their relationships are affected. With employee wellbeing more on the line than ever, employers are starting to take note.

In this blog, we will explore strategies you can put into action, to promote employee wellbeing in your organisation.

Get talking

Open communication is crucial to any successful corporate wellbeing policy. The most robust wellbeing programme is useless if your employees do not feel comfortable accessing it, as 62% do within their current organisation. Encourage a culture of dialogue, so your employees are empowered to share their wellbeing needs and challenges, without fear of judgement or reprisal.

• Listening sessions.
• Anonymous feedback.
• Wellbeing surveys.

Here’s how you can open communication

Listening sessions

Try organising a town hall type events where employees can share their thoughts, concerns, and suggestions about your workplace wellbeing policy.

Anonymous feedback

Provide avenues for anonymous feedback to ensure that employees can voice their insights without fear of negative response.

Wellbeing surveys

Consistently monitor employee satisfaction, to identify areas for improvement, and inform future initiatives.

Shout out your resources

Lots of organisations offer wellbeing resources, but they may not be visible to employees. In fact, only 34% of employees think that their company speaks openly about resources available. It is essential to promote visibility and accessibility of these resources.

• Internal Campaigns.
• Peer Support.

Try introducing

Internal campaigns

Start internal campaigns, highlighting specific wellbeing offerings and initiatives in your workplace to increase widespread participation.

Peer support

Empower employee-led support networks focused on mental health, stress management, or work-life balance to foster a sense of mutual support.

Be flexible

In 2023, work life balance is king. Flexibility is thus a crucial component of your wellbeing strategy. It allows your employees to feel like you value their time, and contributes to reduced burnout and increased job satisfaction.

• Flexible work hours.
• Remote work options.
• Wellbeing breaks.

Start incorporating

Flexible work hours

Offer flexible or condensed work hours that more easily accommodate your employees’ personal needs and schedules. Perhaps this means introducing a 9 day fortnight work time table.

Remote work options

Embrace remote work, allowing employees to manage their time and create an environment that suits their wellbeing needs.

Wellbeing breaks

Encourage employees to take regular breaks throughout the day to recharge and refocus, promoting mental and physical wellness.

Educate your managers

Managers are your employees first point of contact, and thus are instrumental in fostering a culture of wellbeing within their teams. An ill informed manager can hamper your employees from accessing and benefitting from your wellbeing policy. Providing managing staff with the necessary tools and knowledge is essential.

• Wellbeing training.
• Lead by example.
• Check-in sessions.

Trial the following steps

Wellbeing training

Put on training sessions for managers on recognising signs of employee stress and burnout, supporting mental health, and fostering a positive work environment.

Lead by example

Encourage managers to prioritise their own wellbeing and lead by example, in demonstrating an ideal work-life balance.

Check-in sessions

Encourage managers to hold regular one-on-one check ins with their team members to allow for any concerns to be flagged around wellbeing.