5 tips to boost and sustain workplace wellbeing
16 September 2020
Employee wellbeing is a hot topic these days. In these unprecedented times, focusing on wellbeing at work has become a bigger challenge than ever. François Perl from the National Institute for Health and Disability Insurance (INAMI/RIZIV) has already cautioned against the expected increase in the number of burnout and depression cases. Which is why we're highlighting five tips to enhance and support employee wellbeing at your company.
Keeping your employees healthy, productive and happy should obviously be a top priority at your company. But how exactly do you do this?
These five tips will point you in the right direction:
- Keep a finger on the pulse of employee wellbeing at your company. Do you know what's going on with your staff members? Or what would be needed to further improve their wellbeing? If so, then you can take action before it's too late.
- Make sure that you and your staff members are aligned with the company's vision and objectives. This will avoid tension and misunderstanding. And that will only enhance employee wellbeing and create a more positive workplace atmosphere.
- Offer quick and easy solutions that will boost and sustain employee wellbeing. For example, team sport challenges for your staff members, webinars on mental health topics, and confidential psychological counselling. Focus on all components of wellbeing: mental, physical and social. This way, you'll also be helping your staff members gain insight into the drivers of their mental wellbeing, so that they can sound the alarm when they see the warning signs, before it's too late.
- If, despite your efforts, you still run into trouble, make sure you have a professional, custom-designed return-to-work solution in place that will get your staff member back to work safely and successfully. A carefully designed return-to-work policy that addresses specific individual needs has proven to be highly effective.
- Invest in acquiring new skills (e.g. stress management) to avoid the risk of relapse after returning to work. This will keep your focus on the long term.
Wellbeing at work: benefits for the employer
As an employer, you also have a lot to gain from putting an employee wellbeing plan in place.
- In 2020, employees are more demanding than ever. Millennials in particular expect their employer to look out for their physical and mental wellbeing, so that they feel valued and cared for at the same time. This is an important factor in the war for talent as it gives you a competitive edge to attract and retain the right people.
- As a caring employer, you have an impact on absenteeism and staff turnover at your company. After all, your behaviour and decisions can improve employee engagement and increase job satisfaction. And happy employees stay longer at your company.
- Investing in employee wellbeing is also about creating a good long-term relationship with your staff members. You show them that you truly care about them, even when life throws them a curveball such as incapacity for work.