Health is wealth as they saying goes, and your employee’s health may just be the secret to your organisation’s success.
Over the past decade we have seen an increased focus on the importance of wellbeing, both in our personal lives and at work. At work there is a focus on getting the best from our people, as opposed to the most from our people and this has created some new considerations for employers in terms of ways of working, benefits and culture that their organisation’s promote.
Yesterday, I had the pleasure of listening to a talk by Ollie Matthews, a health guru who promotes the importance of looking after ourselves so that we can give the best of ourselves at home, and at work. Ollie explained this by likening our energy levels to our phone batteries. How panicked would we be if, overnight, we didn’t charge our mobile phone. How would it function the following day, it would have no battery, nothing to give. That would be unthinkable. Yet how often do we neglect to charge ourselves up properly, ready for the next day or the next challenge?
If we take this analogy then it makes perfect sense that we would want to create an environment in our workplaces that promotes a healthy working culture, but like most things it is all about balance.
When I talk to business owners there is often a level of understandable scepticism about a wellness culture – does that mean I won’t get anything done?? Will everyone be off mediating and taking mindfulness walks when we have deadlines to hit? No, that’s not the point of this, but I do hope that by focusing on a healthy, high performing culture, we can see these deadlines being hit more consistently and without a mass of burnt-out bodies lying in a crumpled heap at the end of the week.
Committing to a culture where your employee’s health and wellbeing is a priority doesn’t mean it becomes your responsibility, but it does mean you create a shared responsibility for enabling people to be at their best and deliver results that don’t create a negative impact elsewhere.
If you are wondering how you can do this and see genuinely positive results for your business then check out these tips below.
Provide your employees with the tools and resources to take an informed and proactive approach to their health.
You are a manager, or a business owner, not a doctor, nutritionist or fitness coach but you can point your teams towards people that are! There are a multitude of free and subscription apps and programs that support employee wellness. By investing in preventative and supportive measures, you can help your teams to make good decisions, identify potential issues and build their natural coping and resilience levels through encouraging them to prioritise their physical and mental health. The result is happier, healthier employees that are more able to spot issues at an early stage and take positive action.
Be open to doing things differently.
A good solution for one person, doesn’t mean a good solution for another. Everyone ticks slightly differently, for example I am a morning person and that is when you’ll get me at my best, the same can’t generally be said for after 4pm. If you have the ability to allow your teams some flexibility in how they get their work done then they can give you their best in return. Extending flexibility to help people more effectively balance their home and work lives also means that you are more likely to get their full attention when they are doing work for you which is a win win.
Be mindful about the benefits you offer and give them a healthy purpose.
Providing benefit options that allow your employees access to services that let them proactively manage their health and wellbeing quickly and responsively can remove underlying stresses and reduce impacts such as absences from work. Offering specialist support services via a third party also takes the pressure off your management teams and allows them to confidently refer issues to people who are qualified to help. A wide range of services from full private medical cover through to EAP options, counselling sessions and gym discounts can all make a difference.
Creating a healthy work environment.
There is so much you can do to promote an environment that promotes healthy working practices. From stand-up desks, to walking meetings, healthy food options and quiet spaces, the way you design your work space and allow people to carry out their work can make a huge difference to their wellbeing, and your productivity.
The relationship between your employee’s health and your organisation’s productivity is clear. How can you meet your customers or clients needs if you don’t have teams with enough in their tank to deliver? Whether you have ambitions for a full employee wellness strategy or you just want to get some new ways of working in place to support your teams, the principles will be the same. Listen to your team, lead by example and deliver on your commitments – it’s a pretty healthy place to start!