From fundamental ways of working like flexible hours to benefits like yoga classes, there are myriad ways you can promote wellness at work to help support your employees\u2019 work-life balance. Let\u2019s take a look at some of the best ways to improve health and wellness in the workplace that you can introduce today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You might think that wellness has nothing to do with work. But, on the contrary, ensuring that your employees are taking care of their well-being is not only good for their health, but it\u2019s also good for the business. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
One of the leading causes of absence at work is stress. For example. In the UK, the\u00a0 Health and Safety Executive<\/a> reports that 822,000 workers suffered from work-related stress, depression or anxiety in the year 2020-2021 – that means that, for every 100,000 employees, 2,480 are suffering from stress at work.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n This stress can be caused by many reasons, including workload, deadlines, salary, workplace relationships, long hours, or job insecurity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What\u2019s more, the number of employees taking time off work with stress in 2020-2021 is higher than those for 2018-2019, indicating that people are suffering more due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Research backs this up, with studies showing that employees in the UK who have worked from home during the pandemic have increased their working week by 25%<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And, of course, it\u2019s not just mental health issues that have been exacerbated by the pandemic, with an estimated 2% of the population in the UK living with long Covid. The CIPD<\/a> has found that 46% of organisations have employees who have either suffered from or are currently experiencing long Covid symptoms – with the majority of these companies taking additional steps to support their staff through this period of ill health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Investing in your employee\u2019s well-being, then, can help reduce rates of both absenteeism and presenteeism and improve employee engagement and productivity. It can also enhance your brand\u2019s reputation and make you more attractive to prospective new employees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So, how can you reap these benefits? Keep reading to discover our top workplace wellness ideas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Workplace wellbeing can cover every aspect of an employee\u2019s work experience. As mentioned above, some of the key causes of stress at work are due to long hours and a heavy workplace, both of which can be addressed through fundamental changes to the way your business operates. Other ways to support health and wellbeing are supplementary, including things like massages and yoga classes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Every business is different – and every employee is different, too. The key to creating an employee wellness programme that works for you is to ask your team members what they want. After all, they\u2019re the ones that are going to benefit from it. Once you\u2019ve had a consultation, draw up a strategy. You\u2019ll be in good company – the CIPD<\/a> has found that 51% of organisations in their studies take a strategic approach to employee well-being. These companies are more likely to see positive outcomes at both individual and organisational levels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To get you started with some ideas that might suit your company, we\u2019ve come up with ten insightful workplace wellness ideas that you might want to consider adding to your company\u2019s policy.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Flexible working<\/a> can mean many different things, but in essence, it refers to work that\u2019s done in a way that suits an employee\u2019s needs. This can include, among other things:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Different employees value different working hours to suit their individual needs, whether that\u2019s to fit around parental or caring duties, other part-time work, or simply to enjoy a long weekend. A recent study<\/a> found that 59% of employees agreed with the statement, \u201cI would only consider a new position or job that allows me to work from a location of my choice\u201d, and 64% were more likely to consider a role that allows for flexible hours than one that did not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One method of flexible working that has increased in prevalence since the pandemic is hybrid working, where employees work some of the time from an office and part of the time from home. This approach not only benefits your employees<\/a> by ensuring they can work in the environment that suits them best, but it can also support your company when it comes to finding new staff members.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n By renting out satellite offices<\/a> or offering coworking spaces<\/a>, you\u2019ll be able to appeal to a broader talent pool than if you require all employees to work from your headquarters. And with the high-speed internet available in our office spaces<\/a>, your teams will stay connected as easily as if they were all in the same location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some people thrive in an open plan office<\/a>, whilst others need the peace and quiet of a private office to perform at their best. When choosing an office space<\/a>, you should consider its layout to ensure you have everyone\u2019s needs covered. Consider renting an office<\/a> that has a mixture of breakout zones and private office rooms so that your team can work wherever will help them thrive. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As stress is one of the major causes of work-related absences, it\u2019s a good idea to give your staff the tools and education they need to support themselves through periods of stress. This could involve training for both managers and staff to enable them to spot the signs of stress and coping mechanisms for dealing with it, staff surveys to address the root causes of stress, and stress risk assessments. You may also want to consider offering support through an Employee Assistance Programme and occupational health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are many things that you can do as an employer to support your employees\u2019 mental health. You may want to make it clear that you treat mental health in the same way as any other health issue. Some employers even offer mental health days where employees can take the day off, no questions asked, if they\u2019re not feeling up to working. Others prefer to address the root cause by offering support through Employee Assistance Programmes and counselling. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If a staff member is off with stress, depression, or anxiety, you may want to offer a phased return to work when they\u2019re ready to come back to ensure they ease back into their role without any added stress. Another option to consider is training some staff members as mental health first aiders. This means they\u2019re better able to spot the signs and symptoms of poor mental health in their colleagues – but it\u2019s important to note that they\u2019re not trained therapists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Your staff may also find it helpful if you offer training around coping techniques, such as resilience or mindfulness. These types of training courses can give staff the tools they need to weather the storm if they begin to feel stressed, either at work or in their home life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Free or subsidised gym membership is a great way to encourage your team to stay active – and if you have hybrid workers<\/a>, you can offer them the option to choose a gym that\u2019s close to either their home or office for added flexibility. Or, even better, you could choose an office space with a gym in the building, like this stylish office<\/a> in London\u2019s Mayfair.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Many people missed the social aspect of office life when working from home during the pandemic. It\u2019s important not to let social events slip, even if you have a hybrid or largely remote team, to ensure that your team still has a chance to get to know their colleagues better outside of a work context. Consider appointing a social committee to find out what social events their teammates would like to attend, with a subsidised budget from the business to allow as many people as possible to attend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The budget for social events is important as a major cause of stress for many staff is money worries. One in four employees<\/a> report that stress about money affects their ability to do their job, and one in eight workers in the UK live in poverty – even before the cost of living crisis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Financial wellbeing at work can cover everything from regular reviews of your pay structure and benefits, to offering debt counselling or financial coaching.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Does your office have a break room? What about a recreational area, where employees can roll out their yoga mat, read a book, or play some table football? When looking at your office space<\/a>, this is another thing you might want to consider to ensure that your team has somewhere to get away from their desks whenever they need it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When you eat well, you feel better. Encourage your employees to grab a piece of fruit from a weekly delivered fruit basket, or offer a free breakfast for staff to enjoy before they sit down at their desk for the day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Remind your team to take their breaks, whether it\u2019s quickly popping out to get a coffee when they need it or taking a full lunch hour. Studies show that a third of employees don\u2019t leave their workplace after arriving in the morning, and more than half don\u2019t take their full lunch break, citing having too many tasks to do as the reason.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, we all know that getting out for a quick walk works wonders for clearing your head and boosting energy. So, encourage your staff to take their breaks. You could even build regular team lunches into the social budget to ensure that everyone takes their full lunch break at least<\/a> on a weekly or monthly basis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Are you ready to improve your health and well-being programme? Why not start by reviewing your office space – you can filter a search for an Easy Office<\/a> by facilities, including an on-site gym, showers, bike racks and breakout spaces, so you can find the perfect set-up to suit your needs.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" From fundamental ways of working like flexible hours to benefits like yoga classes, there are myriad ways you can promote wellness at work to help support your employees\u2019 work-life balance. Let\u2019s take a look at some of the best ways to improve health and wellness in the workplace that you …<\/p>\nHow to promote wellness in the workplace<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Flexible working<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Consider your office design<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Focus on stress<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Mental health initiatives<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Gym membership<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Social events<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Financial wellbeing<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Recreation space<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Office snacks<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Encourage breaks<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n