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An estimated 30.7 million working days were lost due to work-related ill health and non-fatal workplace injuries in 2017/18. Source (HSE) Stress, depression, musculoskeletal disorders and workplace injuries accounted for the majority of days lost.
Employers cannot afford to ignore the wellbeing of staff. Businesses don’t have to make big changes to promote physical wellbeing at work and encourage colleagues to make positive changes. Creating a more positive culture in the work environment can have multiple benefits…
Providing staff with information about the importance of physical wellbeing on site and how to maintain a good level of health enables them to make informed decisions. For instance, did you know that employees turning up at work ill actually costs British Industry about £15 billion per year?
Simple factors like “presenteeism” are precursors to mental and physical ill health which has a massive cost at a personal level, not forgetting the monetary and productivity costs to businesses.
There are many reasons why, the most important reason is that healthy staff achieve better results, work safer and adapt better to change.
Developing a culture in which staff feel appreciated, understood and adequately trained; encourages wellbeing and understanding of the basic principles. Which in turn presents its own rewards: –
There is a direct correlation between staff performance and management. By giving staff at every level the understanding and tools to “thrive” will help to generate a healthy working environment. We take a look at some of the main steps to help your business achieve a better culture in the workplace: –
One way of promoting wellbeing is to have workspaces that employees can engage with and feel comfortable in. Conversely, a poorly designed workspace can actually have a negative affect on an employees creativity, performance, engagement and innovation.
Employees want to work for companies that value teamwork, diversity, ethics and responsibility. Have strategies to avoid any unprofessional behaviour in your workplace.
Ensure staff know their limits and do the best they can to stay within those limits given.
Encourage communication in the workplace. Run employee surveys or one to one meetings to get valuable feedback on staff morale and what changes they would like to see.
Encouraging staff development is proven to have a positive affect our mental wellbeing. Research shows that staff who are given the opportunity to progress in their careers with additional training and refresher courses are more likely to stay with a company, and have an improved attitude towards work.
42% of employees say learning and development is the most important benefit when deciding where to work (Udemy)
See How using training & development can motivate staff.
Implementing employee health and wellbeing schemes improves general employee engagement. Remember to monitor any program you put into place and don’t forget to constantly ask your team for feedback.
