Why is health and wellbeing important in the workplace?

Why is health and wellbeing important in the workplace?

Curious to know why health and wellbeing play a crucial role in the workplace?  Look no further. Discover the power of health and wellbeing in the workplace, propelling productivity, nurturing positivity, and fuelling long-term success. Explore how prioritising your own wellbeing can transform your professional life for the better. Start your journey to a happier, healthier work life today.

The Impact of Health and Wellbeing in the Workplace

A thriving business directly correlates with the wellbeing of its workforce. Prioritising health promotes resilience, productivity, and overall employee satisfaction, essential drivers of business success. Employees who feel supported in their physical and mental health are more likely to be engaged, motivated, and committed to their work. They are also less likely to experience burnout, absenteeism, and turnover, which can be detrimental to the success of any organization.

Occupational health is no longer just about maintaining safety but also about proactive disease prevention. A robust approach to health and wellbeing fosters an environment that helps employees flourish while reducing sickness-related losses.

Reducing Absenteeism and Presenteeism

Costly sick days that cripple productivity can be abated by preventative health initiatives. Regular health checks and wellness programs can help identify and address health issues before they become major problems. This proactive approach not only benefits employees by promoting early detection and intervention but also saves businesses money by minimizing the impact of prolonged absences.

The case for mindfulness in the workplace

The impact of absenteeism in workplaces due to poor mental health is significant, costing UK employers between £42bn and £45bn per year. More than half of the days lost in Great Britain due to work-related illnesses are due to stress, depression, or anxiety (SDA). This drives a need for health and safety professionals to find methods like mindfulness to reduce these absences. Mindfulness promotes a present-moment awareness and focuses on being completely engaged with the task at hand. This aligns perfectly with safe working practices that involve focusing entirely on a task, being aware of our surroundings, and applying the necessary training to execute jobs safely. Mindfulness as a learned skill can help SDA sufferers identify situations and individuals that trigger these feelings and emotions.

IOSH Magazine, REDUCING ABSENTEEISM THROUGH MINDFULNESS, May 2022

Presenteeism, the practice of underperforming due to health issues while on duty, proves as harmful as absenteeism. Fighting presenteeism lies in building a health-centric culture. When employers prioritise and emphasise holistic wellbeing, employees feel valued — leading to a greater level of focus, improved efficiency and reduced inadvertent on-the-job wastage of time.

Fostering a Positive Work Environment

A balanced work-life approach sparks a congenial atmosphere. Employees handling professional and personal aspects comfortably are likely to foster positivity, ultimately leading to harmonious workplace dynamics. Kindness and respect pave the way for encouraging sound mental health. By nurturing these attributes, workplaces can contribute to an environment where employees feel respected, valued, and less stressed.

As a hallmark of a healthy workplace, a positive work environment signals care for employees’ wellbeing and can reduce the likelihood of disputes and conflict. Prioritising wellbeing leads to higher job satisfaction and less workplace friction, setting the stage for collaborative success.

Boosting Employee Engagement and Job Satisfaction

A health-driven corporate culture positively impacts employee morale, reinforcing belief in the company’s care for them as individuals. This caring impression cultivates a sense of loyalty and belonging, infusing employees with the motivation to contribute their best to the organisation.

Likewise, healthy employees experience increased job satisfaction, enriching their work-life balance. In such an environment employees are more likely to stay with the company, reducing turnover.

Creating a Culture of Health and Wellbeing

A wellbeing-centric corporate culture doesn’t just benefit individuals, it propels the entire workplace forward; the positive effects ripple throughout the company, reinforcing overall productivity and enhancements.

Emotional intelligence plays a significant role in a productive workplace as it encourages resilience and mental health. Understanding and nurturing it may translate into higher morale, better interpersonal relationships, and improved decision-making.

What is workplace wellbeing?

Leadership Commitment and Support

The involvement of transformational leaders is crucial in creating a health-conscious work environment. They can help promote a culture where health and wellbeing are valued and acknowledged as essential to business operations and productivity.

1. Through leadership training, these leaders gain a deeper understanding of employee mental health.
2. They are then able to create and allocate resources effectively to benefit employee wellbeing.
3. Such leaders can inspire their teams to incorporate healthier habits and behaviours into their everyday work lives.

Providing Mental Health Resources and Support

Cultivating mental health resources in the workplace is a critical aspect of fostering employee wellbeing. It’s about extending support and assurance to employees that their mental health is prioritised.

• Guaranteeing confidential, uninterrupted access to mental health resources ensures psychological safety for employees.
• First Aid for Mental Health training for employees can help them deal with stress and mental health-related challenges.

What is Mental Health First Aid and its Importance in the Workplace

• Increased accessibility of in-house or outsourced counselling and flexible talking therapy options mitigates the stigma surrounding mental health in the workplace.
• Periodic mental health awareness workshops educate employees and promote an understanding, empathetic work culture.
• Implementing policies that extend paid leaves for mental health recovery promotes the holistic wellbeing of employees.

Encouraging Work-Life Balance

Encouraging work-life balance is pivotal to employee health and wellbeing. It combats digital overload, thus reducing tech-stress, while facilitating a balanced, health-conscious lifestyle through flexible working conditions.

• Marshal clear policies on disconnecting from digital platforms after work hours to tackle technostress.

• Innovate flexible work schedules permitting employees to shape their working hours optimally.
• Promote remote work options to allow employees to work from locations they’re most comfortable in.
• Advocate for part-time working conditions for employees needing reduced hours.
• Empower employees to take mental health days for rest and revival.
• Institute clear communication channels for employees to express their work-life balance needs.

Promoting Physical Activity and Healthy Eating

Promoting physical activity and healthy eating at work not only enhances employee health, but it also boosts productivity and morale. A culture of wellness in the workplace can lead to improved physical well-being, better mental health, and higher job satisfaction.

• Offer on-site fitness classes or subsidised gym memberships for physical activity.
• Offer workplace wellbeing resources to your employees.
• Arrange for health and wellness seminars to educate employees about the benefits of regular exercise. We have put together a list of FREE workshop ideas for your workplace that we’re sure you’ll love: Wellbeing workshops: 20 FREE ideas to boost your workplace wellbeing

• Implement a healthy food policy in the company cafeteria and break rooms.
• Provide nutrition workshops and cooking demonstrations to empower employees to make healthier food choices.
• Encourage walking meetings or standing desks to promote physical movement during work hours.

The Connection between Health and Wellbeing and Employee Retention

Mitigating the impact of regrettable departures revolves around mental wellness as a vital retention tool. A robust health and wellbeing program can create a caring atmosphere encouraging employees to stay with the company long-term.

Being proactive with wellness strategies isn’t just about maintaining physical health, but also retaining top talent. Investing in your employees’ wellbeing sends out a strong signal that you value them, a secret recipe to keeping your best employees.

Attracting and Retaining Top Talent

Prioritising mental health sends a positive signal to future employees. Companies that emphasise health and wellbeing attract talented individuals who value a humane and understanding work environment, often prime ground for nurturing customer-focused staff.

Retention becomes easier when health benefits are in place. Providing mental health days, yoga classes, healthy meals, or gym memberships not only boosts employee morale but also acts as a retention tool, cementing the loyalty of your star performers.

As employees personally reap the benefits of workplace health initiatives, their attachment to the organisation deepens. This pro-mental health approach allows organisations to not just retain their top talent, but also attracts like-minded, high-performing potential hires.

Reducing Employee Turnover Costs

Investing in employee health helps to avoid frequent employee turnover costs. Adequate health and wellbeing programs demonstrate a company’s dedication to its workforce, illuminating the economical advantage of employee retention compared to the spiralling expenses of rehiring and retraining.

A focus on mental wellbeing can translate into loyalty. Employees who feel valued and supported are more likely to stand by their employer, saving the business from the extensive costs of recruitment and talent-searching. Wellbeing initiatives can help cement a healthy work environment, fostering a sense of belonging.

Supporting Employee Growth and Development

The importance of health and wellbeing transforms even the process of learning new skills. Employees with good mental health are more open to opportunities, and thus drive their own professional growth. In a supportive work environment, mental health fuels employee development. To foster this, organisations must encourage wellbeing as a core value.

Wellbeing workshops: 20 FREE ideas to boost your workplace wellbeing

The Legal and Ethical Considerations of Health and Wellbeing in the workplace

In the United Kingdom, employers have a legal obligation to prioritise the wellbeing of their employees. The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 requires employers to provide a safe and healthy working environment. This includes assessing and managing any risks to the physical and mental wellbeing of employees. Additionally, the Equality Act 2010 mandates employers to make reasonable adjustments to support employees with health conditions or disabilities. Failure to meet these obligations can result in legal consequences for employers.

In the crossroads of ethics and business, health and wellbeing emerge as a critical concern. Besides boosting productivity and morale, it is an ethical duty of organisations to create a mentally and physically healthy work environment for their workforce.

Ethical Responsibility towards Employee Wellbeing

Employees’ wellbeing mirrors a company’s values. A firm with a strong rapport for promoting health and wellbeing signals an organisational ethos of respect, care, and inclusivity. It highlights the company’s commitment to its staff beyond mere productivity.

The ethical responsibility of employers towards their employees’ health and wellbeing is not merely a moral obligation, rather a strategic necessity. It’s about showing up for your people – caring, understanding, and addressing their needs. Respect for employees’ physical and mental health, and the deliberate efforts to nurture it, fundamentally distinguishes a firm as an ethical, responsible entity.

Conclusion: Prioritising Health and Wellbeing in the Workplace

Setting into motion a deep-rooted culture of health and wellbeing is a strategic business decision. Organisations that prioritise employee wellbeing don’t simply check a box; they pave the way for a healthy, engaged, and productive workforce.

A balanced approach to health and wellbeing broadly influences positive workplace dynamics. The interplay of health and wellbeing, when genuinely championed by leaders, radiates positivity across the organisation. It inspires employees to bring their entire selves to work, fostering dynamics of trust, cohesion, and overall job satisfaction.

An unwavering commitment to mental health resources creates spaces for dialogue and support, which are integral in building a resilient workforce. When employees feel their wellbeing is valued, there is heightened unity and vigor in the workplace.

The ethical responsibility of promoting health and wellbeing in the workplace extends beyond compliance. It encapsulates the corporation’s moral stance, shaping a corporate culture that hones and values every stakeholder’s wellbeing, thus fostering lasting human connections.

How can we help you?

Don’t let stress and anxiety hamper your team’s productivity! ‘Wellbeing in Your Office’ offers customised programs designed to enhance mindfulness, which is proven to reduce absenteeism and improve mental health in the workplace.

Our First Aid for Mental Health Courses, Wellbeing Workshops, and Aikido and Mindfulness services are tailored to help your team recognise stress triggers, maintain concentration, and navigate their work with increased self-awareness and confidence. We also offer a wide variety of FREE Workplace Wellbeing resources.

The time to act is now. Investing in mental health, cultivating a culture of understanding and support, and removing the stigma attached to mental health issues is the need of the hour.

Get ready to foster a happier, healthier, and more productive workplace with us. Let’s work together to prioritise mental wellbeing at work. Embrace the art of living well in the workplace. Visit our Services Page to learn more and take the first step toward a better future for your business today! Contact us today.

Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is intended for general knowledge and educational purposes only. It should not be construed as professional health, legal, or business advice. Readers should always consult with appropriate health professionals, human resource experts, or legal advisors for specific concerns related to mental health and wellbeing in the workplace. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information at the time of publication, Wellbeing In Your Office cannot be held responsible for any subsequent changes, updates, or revisions of the aforementioned content.