16 Jan What do we mean when we talk about health and wellbeing in the workplace?
What is the perception?
Being a health and wellbeing service provider, we often hear objections as to cost i.e. “We don’t have a budget for that” which suggests a very narrow idea as to what health and wellbeing in the workplace actually means. Is it putting on a couple of wellbeing days in a year or providing some activities at lunchtime? Both of these are good, but it is so much more than that.
Around 6 or 7 years ago, attending a networking meeting, I was talking to the Managing Director of a local company who was very scathing about health and wellbeing generally, didn’t see a place for that in his company and in particular, with the service we provided. He said his role was to look after the bottom line so why should he pay for us to come in. The problem with this attitude is that it often means nothing at all is put in place, employers need to look at the bigger picture.
Fast forward 6 or 7 years, attending a Wellness in the Workplace networking breakfast, the room was packed with companies eager to learn more about what they can put in place to address health and wellbeing so thankfully, it seems attitudes are changing for the better.
Things to think about
When looking for jobs people expect so much more in addition to salary, they are looking at the benefits packages being offered and this could be the difference between attracting the best talent and them going elsewhere.
You want to make sure that employees are going to stay healthy to be productive and engaged with their work. If procedures are not in place to monitor workload, for example, employees can be at risk of burnout which doesn’t help anybody. This is a health and wellbeing issue.
Think about your industry or profession and the people you want to attract, what would make you stand out over and above your competitors? How can you convince jobseekers that you can offer them a safe, engaging and healthy environment in which to work and where they will be valued and supported in all aspects of their working life? This is a health and wellbeing issue.
Do you have policies in place to support an open and honest environment regarding mental health? This is a health and wellbeing issue.
Does everyone feel supported enough to raise any issues concerning work/life balance. This is a health and wellbeing issue.
Think of health and wellbeing as something that needs to be completely sewn into the fabric of your business with everyone on board. It is a positive move which will improve employee engagement and motivation and benefit both employer and employees.
For more information or advice, please feel free to contact Kathy Scott on 07989 367 669 or email info@handsonatwork.co.uk