Concerned With Employee Wellbeing? Eight Things To Consider

As an employee a person has the right to expect good working conditions regardless of their position or industry. A positive working environment is not only beneficial to employee wellbeing, but also to productivity. The task of providing such an environment and ensuring employee wellbeing rests in the hands of the employer.

It can be difficult to maintain a sense of unity and employee wellbeing within a work place and this can be a challenge for employers, but by keeping employees happy and investing in their wellbeing an employer can also ensure productivity will remain high. So how does an employer maintain the delicate balance between employee wellbeing and complete anarchy? There are several simple ways to maintain a balance in the workplace and many of these are cost effective and preventative in nature.

1. Encourage Staff Get-togethers

In a quest to boost employee wellbeing a well-planned office outing such as a meal can go a long way towards fostering strong relationships as well as increasing productivity and employee cooperation. Alternatively this can be accomplished with an office pizza day or organizing for each employee to bring a dish they enjoyed as part of a family tradition or a favorite recipe.

2. Encourage Open Communication

Employee wellbeing is dependent upon open and positive communication between an employee and employer. When an employee raises a question or concern it is vital to acknowledge it as soon as possible. An acknowledgement, even without an immediate answer, can go a long way towards enhancing employee wellbeing. Acknowledging the question or concern tells the employee their questions and concerns are valid and appreciated.

3. Set Reasonable Expectations

Setting reasonable expectations when determining employee hours avoids any discrepancies by setting a known standard from the beginning. Knowing the expectations of an employer will allow employees the opportunity to plan for the care of children or family events. Scheduling travel and meetings in advance whenever possible will also support employee wellbeing.

4. Listen!

Listening to the needs and ideas of employees will help them feel important and appreciated. Listening to employee concerns and discussing options and/or compromises indicates a genuine care and concern for his or her wellbeing. Active listening is vital and in the case of a suggestion or idea constructive criticism is usually appreciated.

5. Deal With Negativity

Negativity in the workplace can be the biggest contributor to employee stress or dissatisfaction. It is vital to deal with negativity in the workplace as soon as possible in order to protect employees from low self-esteem. Negativity can spread through an office very quickly, but by addressing the problem and creating policy to deal with it an employer can positively impact the overall wellbeing of their employees

6. Show Appreciation

Showing appreciation towards employees through awards, incentives and public acknowledgment will help boost employee morale and also indicates a genuine interest in their achievements. Appreciation can help employees realise their own worth. It can also help employees who are shy or withdrawn gain the courage and motivation needed to take on a new role or task.

7. Make Sure Employees Know Their Job Description

It is important all employees know and understand their job description and exactly what it entails. An employee who does not understand his or her job description may question why they are being asked to do something they view as redundant or not part of the job they were hired for. By making sure employees understand their duties this can be avoided while also avoiding any negative feelings or resentment they may have towards their direct supervisor. A clear and concise job description can help with this.

8. Provide Professional Development Opportunities

People have an innate desire to learn and grow. Employers can provide many opportunities for this while boosting employee production and knowledge. Employees who have the opportunity to grow with a company may opt to remain with the company not only in the good times but also in times of difficulty. Professional development can be achieved in a number of ways including in-house and out-of-house conferences, seminars and workshops.

In the end it is important for an employer to consider employee wellbeing because it can go a long way towards fostering sustainability and a positive environment within a company or workplace. Employee wellbeing can and does turn employees into colleagues. It is in the best interest of a company to work with all employees in order to make them active partners in promoting healthy and positive relationships.

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An NHS report out today advised employers that they need to pay more attention to the levels of stress and anxiety in the workplace.

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) said that the cost of work related mental illness was £28bn which represents a quarter of the total sick bill for the United Kingdom.

The report suggests that poor managers were the biggest cause of problems.  However it also said that simple measures such as allowing flexible working, providing staff with positive feedback and giving extra days holiday as a thank you could cut the impact by as much as a third.  NICE also urged employers to invest in more training for managers and mentoring for staff to help support their career development.

Counting the cost

Workplace stress is estimated to cost U.K. employers £28.3bn a year largely due to lost productivity, paying staff whilst they are off work and replacing ill employees.

NICE has designed a cost calculator to show the potential savings of better supporting stressed staff in the workplace.  It suggests that for the average firm of 1,000 staff a saving of £250,000 a year could be made.

Professor Cary Cooper, a leading expert in workplace psychology at Lancaster University helped compile the reports recommendations.  He said “You cannot underestimate the importance of saying ‘Well done’ to staff, but so often it does not happen.  Managers will tell you when you are doing something wrong, but not when you are doing it right.”

Recession

However, the problem is not just to do with staff taking time off from work.

“Presenteeism, where people come to work but add no value, is if anything more of a problem, especially during a recession. People are so scared that they go to work when they are not fit to” said Professor Cooper.

A recent survey by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) revealed that nearly a quarter of workers in the UK describe their own mental health as either moderate or poor, yet nearly all of them continued to work regularly.

The recommendations were welcomed by the government’s national director for health and work, Dame Carol Black who produced a report advising employers to take more of an active role in promoting good health for their employees back in 2008, saying that it provided “clear, practical advice to promote mental well-being”.

Who should take action?

Employers in organisations of all sizes – in larger organisations this might include chief executives and board members, human resources directors and senior managers.

Trade unions and other employee representatives – this will usually be the owner-manager and in medium-sized businesses the business manager.

What action should they take?

Adopt an organisation-wide approach to promoting the mental wellbeing of all employees, working in partnership with them. This approach should integrate the promotion of mental wellbeing into all policies and practices concerned with managing people, including those related to employment rights and working conditions.

Ensure that the approach takes account of the nature of the work, the workforce and the characteristics of the organisation.

Promote a culture of participation, equality and fairness that is based on open communication and inclusion.

Create an awareness and understanding of mental wellbeing and reduce the potential for discrimination and stigma related to mental health problems.

Ensure processes for job design, selection, recruitment, training, development and appraisal promote mental wellbeing and reduce the potential for stigma and discrimination. Employees should have the necessary skills and support to meet the demands of a job that is worthwhile and offers opportunities for development and progression.

Employees should be fully supported throughout organisational change and situations of uncertainty.

Ensure that groups of employees who might be exposed to stress but might be less likely to be included in the various approaches for promoting mental wellbeing have the equity of opportunity to participate. These groups include part-time workers, shift workers and migrant workers.

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The issue of stress at work is a business-critical one. If it is not managed properly stress will cause employee health and absence problems, and reduce individual and organisational productivity.

However, too few employers understand what stress is, how it affects people, or how to identify and manage it.  The following article by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development looks at the negative impact stress can cause organisations and the benefits associated with an effective corporate health & well-being strategy.

CIPD – Building the Business Case for Managing Stress in the Workplace

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