In the modern workplace, where deadlines loom and to-do lists are never in short supply, it can start to feel like a treadmill. A marathon of meetings and projects... When do we just hit the breaks and smell the roses?
Workplace Wellbeing is more than offering yoga classes before work on Thursdays. When we look at Wellbeing holistically, we get a better idea of how to serve our teams through a Wellbeing lens.
The World Health Org has a tool called WHO-5 Wellbeing. It's a quick survey with statements to respond to like:
In the last 2 weeks...
I have felt cheerful in good spirits
I have felt calm and relaxed
I have felt active and vigorous
I woke up feeling fresh and rested
My daily life has been filled with things that interest me
These questions are not work specific. And that's the point. A person's wellness can't be split into 'work' and 'personal' wellness. Human wellbeing is a holistic concept.
So, what is the role of an organisation in this unified picture of wellness?
Firstly, it's acknowledging that a persons' level of wellbeing is influenced by many factors, work being just one of them.
Second, be aware of the different factors that can impact your employee at work. For example, workload, job demands, work environment, co-worker relationships, recognition, feedback, work-life balance, compensation, benefits, job security, communication, their psych safety and meaningful work.
Third, create a supportive environment where employees find comfort rather than a cold shoulder. For example, personal relationships, financial stability, health, major life events, cultural identity, spiritual beliefs, commute stress, living conditions.
Sometimes a co-worker is stressed out at work because they have 7 parking fines that they can't find the money for. Or their parents are losing their health and it's creating stress on family relationships. In these times, we can choose to ask people to leave their emotions at the door, or we can hold a brave space and invite them to share what they're going through.
We won't spiral into the grey areas of an employee not delivering work due to their diminished wellbeing and where do employers draw the line (that's for another blog).
What's important is that managers have the choice to either embrace their employees as humans, with wellbeing that ebbs and flows with life, or take a more traditional approach where personal emotions are left at the door. We obviously advocate for the former.
Looking after employee wellbeing is not just a moral decision, it's also a financially-savvy move.
Employers benefit when they take proactive steps to improve wellbeing, for example, offer flexible work, training and development, mental health support, stress management, social connection, financial education, promote healthy boundaries, physical health support (yes, yoga can slot in here). They see benefits to productivity, the bottom line and a boost in overall creativity within the work produced.
In a world where top performers have options, they're not just looking at the salary figure – they're eyeing the entire package. Organizations that wave the wellbess banner high become magnets for talent. It's not just a recruitment strategy; it's a long-term investment in the lifeblood of your organization.
So, here's the bottom line: Workplace wellbeing isn't a fad. It's the secret sauce that is baked into thriving ecosystems. Those who embrace and invest in a healthy work environment aren't just doing the right thing – they're setting the stage for remarkable success.