Skip navigation

Enhancing wellbeing in the workplace

Wellbeing is good for business. And that’s just one of the many reasons the wellbeing of employees in the workplace should be high on every company’s agenda.

An Asian woman with long gray hair is smiling and holding a glass of water while sitting at an outdoor table.An Asian woman with long gray hair is smiling and holding a glass of water while sitting at an outdoor table.

Table of contents

Text LinkText Link

When employees are happy and healthy at work, they’re more productive, make fewer mistakes and take fewer sick days. Essentially, wellbeing is good for business.

That’s just one of the many reasons the wellbeing of employees in the workplace should be high on every company’s agenda.

What is employee wellbeing?

Broadly speaking, employee wellbeing refers to the overall mental, physical, emotional and economic health of an organization’s employees.

Wellbeing incorporates a huge range of elements that should be considered by employers, including:

  • Health and safety: Making sure the working environment is a safe place for employees.
  • Work-related stress: Ensuring employees have a good work/life balance and get access to the necessary support if they feel overwhelmed in their job.
  • Mental health: Giving employees resources to help them manage their mental health and having mental health first aiders if they need/want to talk.
  • Policies, including sickness absence, parental leave and return to work policies

A culture of inclusion is also an important part of creating wellbeing at work. When people feel that they belong and are treated equally with their peers, they are less likely to feel stress, anxiety, anger or other negative feelings.

Why is it important to look after the wellbeing of employees?

Wellbeing should be a core element in every company’s HR strategy, because wellbeing is a key enabler of employee engagement. Wellbeing can help employees feel valued and supported at work, and wellbeing motivates people to reach their goals.

Stress is a major factor in employee wellbeing. According to a recent study by The American Institute of Stress, 83% of U.S. workers suffer from work-related stress, and about one million Americans miss work each day because of stress. That means looking after the wellbeing of employees can help improve absence rates within your organization.

There are a number of triggers for work-related stress, so it’s important to think about the work/life balance of your employees.

  • Do your employees work long hours with no breaks?
  • Do they have realistic or unrealistic deadlines to meet?
  • Is their workload manageable or unmanageable?
  • What are the communication policies at your company? Are they working?
  • Do you have appropriate managerial support?

How can employers ensure employees feel looked after at work?

There are a number of ways to help ensure the wellbeing of your employees.

1. Lead by example.

Managers are important role models in helping to promote healthy behavior at work, so health and wellbeing should be visibly led from the top down.  Make sure senior management is seen working sensible hours, taking lunch breaks and using their annual leave entitlements.

2. Create flexible working arrangements.

When, where and how employees work can have a huge impact on their wellbeing. Some people like to be in an office and surrounded by people to avoid feeling isolated, while others are more productive and feel more comfortable when they work from home.

Likewise, employees have responsibilities outside of work and can feel anxious if they aren’t sure how to balance both. For example, if someone needs to look after their sick child or attend a hospital appointment, and they’re not sure if they have time to do it, they can feel torn between their work and personal commitments, which can lead to stress.

Having a flexible working policy that includes hybrid (or remote) working opportunities, time off when needed and guidance on core hours can help employees feel valued and supported.

3. Encourage healthy habits.

A healthy lifestyle is key to boosting wellbeing and employee morale. As an employer, you can promote healthy habits by encouraging employees to take regular breaks and get away from their desks at lunch time.

Regular exercise is known to release endorphins and boost happiness. So encourage an active lifestyle by promoting walking/cycling to work, offering discounts on gym memberships and incentivizing teams to get active.

You could also introduce walking meetings – where attendees get outside and take a stroll while having their meetings.

For companies with people working on site:

  • Promote healthy eating by introducing fruit bowls in breakout areas and offering healthy snacks, rather than vending machines full of chips and candy.
  • Make sure there are plenty of water coolers, so employees have easy access to water to keep them hydrated.
  • Ensure there’s lots of natural light in offices, to reduce eyestrain and headaches. And plants in the office are known to lower anxiety and stress, while also stimulating creativity.

4. Maintain open communication.

Having a variety of communication channels for employees to use is vital in ensuring staff feel supported and valued. You want to make sure you give your people the opportunity to speak up, which can boost employee wellbeing.

Regular meetings with their managers to talk about workload can reduce stress and help take the burden off employees.

Likewise, a buddy system and/or a team of mental health first aiders are great ways to offer support to employees who may want to discuss a matter in confidence.

Recognizing employees for good work (and providing constructive feedback when things need to improve) also goes a long way to boosting morale, so recognition schemes are a great way to help the wellbeing of employees.

But more important than anything else: communicate frequently, making sure information is constantly flowing top-down and bottom-up with a compassionate, yet direct, communication style encouraged.

5. Educate people about the importance of prioritizing their wellbeing.

We know you’re busy. That’s why we created Electives. Our platform streamlines the planning, curation, logistics and measurement, so you can deliver better quality learning – on important topics like gender equality – with less effort.

Discover more Electives use cases

Latest resources

Learn more about creating a culture of learning throughout our resources below.

People developing people: Unveiling the secrets of HR leadership in building thriving work cultures
Electives team
 
May 26, 2023

People developing people: Unveiling the secrets of HR leadership in building thriving work cultures

Hamutal Oren-Fox, an esteemed expert and the Chief People Officer at Venn City, shares practical perspectives on thriving work cultures.
People developing people
Empowering ERG leaders: Key strategies for success
Electives team
 
May 17, 2023

Empowering ERG leaders: Key strategies for success

As organizations strive to foster diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) within their culture, employee resource groups (ERGs) have emerged as valuable assets, contributing to an organization's success.
In the news
Electives co-founder and CEO Jason Lavender in Business Ninjas
Electives team
 
May 16, 2023

Electives co-founder and CEO Jason Lavender in Business Ninjas

Jason Lavender, Electives co-founder and CEO, was recently interviewed by Kelsey McDonald on the Business Ninjas podcast, sponsored by WriteForMe.
In the news
Unveiling the key drivers of job satisfaction: Insights for people leaders
Electives team
 
May 15, 2023

Unveiling the key drivers of job satisfaction: Insights for people leaders

The recently conducted survey by The Conference Board sheds light on key drivers that shape employee satisfaction and offers valuable insights for organizations aiming to enhance their workplace environments.
In the news
Embracing neurodiversity in the workplace: A framework for HR leaders
Electives team
 
May 10, 2023

Embracing neurodiversity in the workplace: A framework for HR leaders

By creating an inclusive environment that values neurodiversity, we can empower all individuals to reach their full potential. Here are 3 ways you can embrace neurodiversity within your organization.
DEI
DEI holidays to celebrate in June 2023
Electives team
 
May 5, 2023

DEI holidays to celebrate in June 2023

We compiled a comprehensive list of June DEI holidays you may want to observe throughout your organization.
Holidays

View all posts

Custom LEARNING PROGRAMS

Let us help you build the learning program that is right for you.

Decision making can be complex! Especially when there are so many good choices and so little time in the day. That's why we offer customized onboarding. We'll help you define your objectives, map your strategy and develop a plan for meaningful learning impact.

Contact our sales team to learn more

Learn more