Employee wellness might sound like the latest HR buzz phrase, but, in truth, the focus shift toward health is long overdue. So, what is employee wellness, and how can you benefit from it?
Intro to Employee Wellness Saint Petersburg
At the most basic level, employee wellness refers to your employee’s overall physical, mental, and financial health. People who are healthy in these three areas are more likely to stick around, less likely to need time off, and more productive. Done right, it benefits both employer and employee and supports your company.
Why Is Employee Wellness Important?
According to the Future Workplace Academy, 68% of senior HR leaders considered employee well-being a top priority. Some statistics from Gallup:
- 71% of employees who strongly agree that their organization cares about their well-being also strongly advocate for their organization as a workplace. Employee referrals help companies attract talent. This a good fit.
- 61% of employees cite personal well-being and work-life balance as the second most crucial factor in a decision to switch jobs.
- Employees not thriving are 61% more likely to experience productivity-destroying burnout.
- Employees who strongly agree that their organization cares about their well-being are 69% less likely to seek a new job.
These employees are also 36% more likely to be “thriving” in their overall lives. Modern employees expect their employers to look out for them and their well-being. They are less stressed, overall healthier, and more resilient.
Benefits of Employee Wellness Saint Petersburg
Employee wellness helps support the following:
- A positive work culture. This means that people are not stressed or burned out, work well together, and are engaged and satisfied at work. Employee well-being reduces workplace toxicity.
- Productivity. Employees who are physically and mentally healthy are less stressed and take less time off. They tend to get more done when they are at work and more done than people who feel obliged to work longer hours.
- Engagement. Employees who believe their well-being is supported are three times more likely to be engaged at work.
- Retention. Employees who believe that their well-being is supported are much less likely to actively search for another job and also less likely to respond positively to headhunting attempts.
Again, employee wellness supports all of these things and helps y, ou and them thrive.
Types of Employee Wellness
Employee wellness tends to fall into three broad areas: Mental, emotional, and financial. Physical health, however, is less entailment. Much of the focus for employee wellness is indeed on mental health. Future Workplace has identified seven pillars of employee well-being:
- Purpose
- Emotional
- Community
- Social
- Financial
- Career
- Physical
You need to support your employees in all seven of these. For example, you can support career wellness by ensuring that your employees get professional development that includes transferable skills and physical health by providing good benefits and encouraging them to use them.
How Can Your Organization Provide Employee Wellness Resources?
Traditionally, the only thing organizations did to support wellness was to offer good benefits… if they could afford them. Wellness programs are now more nuanced and often more flexible, taking into account your industry, location, and demographics. Here are some excellent ideas:
- Ensure that health benefits cover mental health.
- If employees are in cubicles, open things up so they can see each other.
- Encourage employees to go outside. If possible, provide places to eat lunch outside on a warm day. Holding a walking meetinghouse can be incredibly healthful. One-on-ones can quickly be done as walking meetings.
- Add indoor plants.
- Offer financial advice as part of an employee assistance program.
- Do fitness challenges to encourage healthy competition.
- Arrange volunteer days to help employees develop purpose. However, consider what kind of activities your employees want to do.
- Provide flexible work schedules when possible.
Sources used:
forbes.com/sites/jeannemeister/2021/08/04/the-future-of-work-is-worker-well-being/?sh=135c87a54aed
gallup.com/workplace/404105/importance-of-employee-wellbeing.aspx.aspx
wellsteps.com/blog/2022/02/05/13-office-wellness-ideas-to-improve-employee-productivity/