Employee Wellbeing addresses the quality and safety of the workplace, as well as how employees feel about work, their employers, the decision-making committee, and the work environment in general.
Employee incentives like health insurance, flexible work hours, napping pods, yoga classes, and many more have become increasingly popular. Moreover, companies have begun investing in these practices to boost employee wellbeing. But why has employee wellbeing become the talk of the corporate town?
Companies are looking towards the benefits of employee wellbeing in the workplace for a long time now. A few decades ago, you probably wouldn’t have heard about employee wellbeing because output was the only priority for many employers.
The Covid-19 Outbreak in 2020 allowed people to work from the comfort of their homes, however it only worsened their mental health and wellbeing. Toxic work cultures often demand that employees put work ahead of their lives. And, when you are stuck in your home working every waking hour, stress and mental burnout are natural consequences.
Studies have also shown that employee burnout results in absenteeism, reduced productivity, stress, and depression.
The founder of Cred, Kunal Shah, said in his tweet:
“Life is too short to work for people who kill your spirit,”
As Shah agrees, workplace stress should become a thing of the past. Moving forward, employers must recognize employee contributions and prioritize their wellbeing. Not just that, but organizations need to understand that employee wellbeing is an umbrella term that includes mental wellbeing, physical wellbeing, and emotional wellbeing. It is also about recognizing your employees’ moods and cognition, and including empathetic behaviours in workplace. Clearly, all this can only be achieved when organisations become employee-centric.
Advantages of Employee Wellbeing
1. They are cost-effective!
Investing in employee wellness programs actually saves money for the corporates. Surprising, right? Let us break it down for you:
Since most of the time in the office is spent sitting in a chair, employees run the risk of getting health problems that come with a sedentary lifestyle. These include diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, and other diseases. Subsequently, employees struggling with poor health tend to take more sick days. This proves that employee wellbeing directly affects absenteeism and its cost for employers.
So, to reduce costs that come with absenteeism, employers can work on cost-effective employee wellness programs to foster healthier lifestyle among employees.
2. High Employee Productivity
Employee wellness strategies results in them feeling more engaged, connected and appreciated. As a result, they experience high morale, elevated and stable moods. An employee who feels accomplished and recognized is less likely to experience burnouts and apathy towards the organisation. This improves their focus and leads to higher productivity.
3. Attract Better Talent
Offices that offer wellness programs find it easier to retain skilled employees and attract better talent. Ensuring employee happiness and employee satisfaction results in a better branding for organisations. A business which is known for its employee-centric approach is more likely to attract highly skilled individuals as well as retain its best talent.
How to Improve Employee Wellbeing?
You already know that recognizing your employees’ work, listening to their needs, showing empathy, and giving regular feedback are essential to improve employee wellness. The benefits of employee wellbeing are abundant, and with the right strategies you can avail these benefits.
1. Health insurance
Health insurance plans are known to attract job-seekers. It is a benefit every company should be giving their employees. Moreover, you should provide employees with a range of insurance plans so they can pick out the one that suits their needs the most.
2. Fitness Programs
Allocating a space in the office for workout or giving gym memberships to employees is a great way to ensure fitness in the workplace. This increases employee satisfaction and reduces stress levels among employees.
3. Giving meal choices Employee Wellbeing
With increase in fitness consciousness people have begun leaning towards a healthy diet. Veganism has become increasingly popular. With this in mind, offering meal choices to employees will give them a sense that employers are concerned about their health.
4. Flexible work hours
Offering flexible working hours or remote work option to employees improves their work-life balance. The days when companies could make employees slog for hours by putting their own lives on hold are far behind us. More importantly, since remote work culture is gaining popularity, this is one of the most desired employee wellbeing benefit.
5. Employee Feedback
Asking your employees about their needs can prove to be the most effective strategy to increase their psychological and emotional wellness and aspirations. Taking feedback from employees on what changes or incentives they will like to be given will help you understand their expectations better and consequently will narrow down your approach towards improving employee wellness.
