Maybe you've noticed a pattern of frequent absences among your employees while others are underperforming. It’s possible their well-being is compromised. Have you considered checking in with them?
In this post, we'll delve into factors affecting employee well-being and how employers can make a positive impact by prioritizing their team’s welfare.
Factors that Affect Wellness Today
An organization must invest in its employees to make a business thrive. To do so, you must consider the factors that affect their work and wellness.
Control Over Their Work
Studies have shown over many years that job control, a person's freedom to determine what they do and how they do it, has a major impact on an employee's wellness. In fact, according to the World Health Organization, low job control poses a risk to a person’s physical and mental health.¹
Number of Work Hours
Long work hours are also linked to unfavorable health. It can be associated with diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and other disabilities. This is because when employees have little time to rest, they become more exhausted, which can increase their susceptibility to various illnesses.
Presence of Social Support
Social support from family and friends can directly affect a person's health. It can also buffer the results of many psycho-social stresses that can compromise someone's health.
Workplaces sometimes make building relationships difficult due to competition between employees. Unhealthy competition can weaken social ties between teammates and can reduce the support a person should be having.
Fairness and Justice at Work
A great place to work is an environment where employees feel valued, supported, and engaged. It's where they have opportunities for growth, clear communication with management, work-life balance, and a sense of purpose, which fosters high morale and a strong sense of loyalty.
This is also closely connected with being treated fairly and justly. Fairness isn't just how employees are treated; it's about building trust. It ensures workers operate on an even playing field, which in turn affects job satisfaction, commitment, and even turnover rates. Fairness can be assessed with these key components:
- Equity: equal opportunities, fair treatment, and fair pay
- Impartiality: lack of favoritism, fair promotions
- Justice: fair treatment regardless of personal traits, a person's right to challenge unfair systems and decisions
These not only contribute to a balanced and thriving workplace but also establish an atmosphere of trust, engagement, and dedication among employees, fostering an environment that truly stands out.
Today's Layoffs
Recent layoffs have caused massive job insecurities in employees. These occurrences not only made them doubt themselves but also their security in their jobs.²
Advantages of Supporting Employee Well-Being
Supporting employees' wellness can be advantageous for the business. When you invest in employee wellness initiatives, they’ll be more productive and are more likely to produce better results for the business.
Employees increase their productivity at work.
Employees who are healthier tend to become more productive at their jobs. This is because they’re more energized, well-rested, and motivated to do and accomplish their tasks because they are at their very best.
Additionally, employees who participate in wellness programs also remain focused on maintaining healthy habits such as regular exercise. This helps them improve their sleep and physical health, which in turn increases their productivity in and out of work.
Employees become more engaged.
Investing in people's wellness results in a more engaged workforce. This is because wellness activities give them more reasons to bond. They can compare and share experiences with each other, such as tips on how to improve productivity and mental health.
Wellness activities can also help strengthen relationships among employees, which can increase their willingness and excitement to go to work.
Employees are more satisfied with their jobs.
In promoting wellness, companies can enable employees to better manage their personal and professional lives. This can reduce the feeling of overwhelm or burnout.
When employees feel supported, they become more grateful and satisfied with their jobs. This leads to better motivation and satisfaction at work.
Employees stay longer.
Showing your employees that you care about them through employee wellness programs can improve retention. This is because programs on mental, emotional, and physical health help everyone to create a healthy work environment.
Supporting employees' well-being also shows that you value them. On top of this, it demonstrates the values of the business, which can cultivate a sense of loyalty and commitment across teams.
9 Ways to Promote Wellness at Work
There are many ways you can promote wellness in the workplace. Here are 9 of them that you can try based on your team's needs and budget.
1. Provide support for mental health.
According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, only 43 percent of 6.8 million US adults who experience excessive anxiety are receiving help.³ One of the causes of their anxiety includes work performance.
Coaches and therapists are important assets to have close. When employees receive the therapy, they need to heal or coaching sessions to assist them, they can manage their stress levels before it can negatively affect their work performance.
2. Allow employees to recharge.
Combat anxiety and stress by allowing your employees to have a flexible schedule. It can reduce the possibility of burnout in your employees because they’re able to rest and restructure their priorities in and out of work. At work, this can help improve productivity, morale, and team culture because everyone is in a good state of mind to be productive.
3. Carefully plan meetings.
Conducting frequent meetings can be counterproductive especially if the agenda could be communicated through email. That said, respect people's time and boost productivity by reducing meetings so people can collaborate at times when the situation requires it.
4. Dedicate office spaces for quiet breaks.
When a person suddenly feels unwell, hurt, or tired, they would likely need space to release stress. That’s why a dedicated break room for a quiet time of meditation or relaxation can be good for your employees.
This space will allow them to release their frustrations about work or to talk to their mentor or trusted colleague. If the space is wide enough, they may even do yoga or exercise during breaks.
5. Provide PTOs for mental health and self-care.
There are days when it's best for an employee not to come to work. This is because their productivity would be affected if they do. Help them cope by allowing paid days off for self-care. These days can help them take better care of themselves so they can bring their best selves the next time they report to work.
6. Support employees' personal passions.
Supporting employees' personal interests shows their employer cares for their personal growth. Employers can grant time off for pursuing interests, allocate company-related projects aligned with personal aspirations, and provide a designated portion of the week to develop desired skills.
7. Pay for bereavement leave.
Working should be the last thing on the mind of a grieving employee. You can show your support by offering paid time off. This will allow them enough time to grieve for their loved one.
8. Send out health and wellness newsletters.
Sending out health and wellness newsletters and other resources to the members of an entire company can help maintain their well-being and promote health maintenance. These newsletters may include healthy meal recipes for the week or new meditation techniques.
In these emails, surveys may also be included to let the management know if their efforts are helpful to employees.
9. Host wellness retreats.
Achieve workplace wellness by being healthy together. A wellness retreat can be hosted on-site or virtually. It’s a great way to gather all employees to promote wellness and relaxation. Management can organize a full day for this retreat with the help of experts. And you can include nutrition classes, yoga sessions, and more.
Invest in your employees' wellness to see better results.
Your employees' efforts and productivity are a huge part of why your company runs smoothly. Invest in their wellness to continuously fuel their deeds and fulfill the company's vision for the future.
FORM A TEAM THAT SHARES YOUR VALUES WITH ALLIED ONESOURCE
If you're looking for a team that seeks the same workplace wellness that you want, Allied OneSource can help you find the best candidates to fit your needs. Get in touch with us today to know more about our solutions.
References
1 "Mental Health at Work." World Health Organization. 28 Sept 2022, https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/mental-health-at-work.
2 Musilek, Julie. "The Top 7 Workplace Factors That Impact Employee Health." Great Place to Work, 24 May 2019, www.greatplacetowork.com/resources/blog/the-top-7-workplace-factors-that-impact-employee-health.
3 “Anxiety Disorders - Facts & Statistics.” Anxiety & Depression Association of America. Accessed 15 Aug. 2023, https://adaa.org/understanding-anxiety/facts-statistics.
