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11 Mar 2019

Putting wellbeing at the heart of global company culture will bring its own rewards

Over the past few years, there has been a growing focus on wellbeing in the workplace. Employers have opened their eyes to the fact that, by putting wellbeing at the heart of their company culture, they are reaping the rewards in the form of employee productivity and engagement. 

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With that said, stress is still endemic in UK businesses – Three in four women and two in three men experience some level of stress at work. Although a certain level of stress is expected in any job, high levels of stress have been linked to many chronic physical and mental health issues. As a result, a business with a stressed-out workforce can expect to see high levels of absenteeism and reduced productivity. 

Business cost 
No business can afford not to address the underlying issues in the workplace – especially as, annually, stress-related mental health conditions cost employers up to £42 billion in presenteeism, sickness absence and staff turnover in the UK alone. Meanwhile, depression and anxiety are among the leading causes of workplace absence worldwide.

Value employee opinions 
A workplace wellbeing programme doesn’t need to be elaborate or expensive to have an impact. Although it’s important to make sure that wellness is part of your company values, if you have global offices, you may find that each one faces different issues, or has different priorities. To identify what these are, a regular anonymous workplace wellbeing survey can be a great way to gauge where employees feel as if improvements can be made. The results of the surveys will give you a strong foundation to build your wellbeing strategy upon and allows you to report back to employees, in turn making them feel valued that their employer has taken their feelings on board.

Health benefits 
Offering health benefits to your employees is also a sure way to show the importance of wellbeing within your business, and will be universally appreciated. Benefits such as subsidised gym memberships, cycle to work initiatives, health screenings and health cash plans show that you take the health and wellbeing of your employees seriously, not just paying lip service to it. Additionally, by providing your employees with preventative health services, you are equipping them with the tools that they need to stay well. 

Flexibility 
Many employees highly prioritise a good work-life balance, but during busy periods at work, it can be thrown off, which can lead to employees burning out. By offering flexible working hours, time off in lieu and the option to work from home every now and again, you are demonstrating to your employees that you value the effort that they are putting in. Flexible working has been proven to boost morale, which will lead to increased productivity, which can only be deemed a positive for employers.

Dedicated senior employee
Communication is key when it comes to rolling out a wellbeing scheme. Within each workplace, it’s helpful to have a dedicated senior team member who employees can speak to about their health and wellbeing – ideally, a manager who has been trained to spot the signs of mental health issues. If employees have somebody that they feel comfortable discussing their concerns with, the better the chance that the problem can be addressed before it escalates. A top-down wellbeing strategy is more likely to succeed as it will be engrained in the business culture from top to bottom. 

Your employees are the backbone of your business, so by taking steps to support their health and wellbeing, you are giving them the chance to thrive. Health cash plans help to reduce sickness absence and improve employee wellbeing through a range of preventative health benefits. 

This article is provided by Health Shield.