How Do You Define Workplace Wellbeing?
Workplace wellbeing refers to the ‘wellness’ – both mentally and physically – of employees in a work environment. As a phrase, its meaning is simple, but achieving a healthy level of workplace wellbeing can be fostered in a variety of ways and has been proven to have a significant impact on the productivity of employees. Importantly, it can deliver a mutual benefit to people, organisations, economies and communities.
Before being able to sufficiently improve workplace wellbeing, it’s important to know exactly what it is.
This relates to all aspects of working life, from the quality and safety of the physical environment to how workers feel about their work. As you can see, it’s not a clear-cut definition. In fact, it’s fairly broad.
How do you know what to focus your attention and resources on?
Mental health should not be seen as a separate entity from physical health. Both are just as important, and they often influence one another.
In that sense, sometimes it’s worth looking at your environment first. Does it offer your employees a safe, healthy and comfortable space to work? According to the CIPD, boosting workplace wellbeing relies on creating an environment that ‘actively promotes a state of contentment, benefiting both employees and the organisation.’
Workplace wellbeing can be achieved in a number of ways. Business culture and employee workload or expectations have an impact, as well as the environment itself. If the workplace is too dark, too humid and stuffy, or there are too many distracting noises, employees’ wellbeing will be impacted and, in turn, their productivity will suffer.
Environmental factors to consider:
- Acoustics
- Temperature
- Light levels
- Ventilation
- Privacy
- Ergonomic office furniture
You may choose to do a company-wide survey, with anonymous responses to help identify areas that you could improve. By getting the environmental factors right you can encourage enhanced productivity and a more comfortable setting for your workforce. Next, you can turn your attention to your work culture and whether it could be improved.
This encompasses an even wider range of factors:
- Workload
- Regular check-ins (particularly with remote working employees)
- Clear progression opportunities
- Anti-bullying policies
- Equal opportunities for everyone
This is just a handful of factors to review to make sure your company is providing the most supportive environment for all your employees.
Whether you’re creating a breakout room, wellbeing area, or want to increase the overall wellbeing within your workplace, contact Remark Group today to discuss our workplace wellbeing solutions.