Happy Employees = Happy Customer
The workplace of today needs to offer more than just salary packages and flexible working hours to attract the best talent. It is all about having work-life balance, without it, potential talent will be disinterested in joining your organisation. In many cases, your image is based on how well you treat your employees. Well-being programs can have significant positive impact on an employee’s life which can then flow on to increased productivity.
Well-being programs can be intensive or built into the working environment. It can involve full-fledged medical coverage, having healthy eating incentives, or time for relaxing and exercise. Businesses should introduce these programs to ensure their employees can remain at the top of their performance by being happier at work.
Why should you encourage wellbeing at work?
Having a positive and involved well-being program at work benefits the organisation on a hiring front as well as overall performance. There are so many different businesses, many with overlapping similarities. What differentiates you, will be how you treat your employees. Having an image of the “best place to work” is a very rewarding and comforting feeling for both employees and employers.
This will ultimately lead to…
Reducing absenteeism
Reduced turnover rate meaning less recruitment needs
Improved productivity and performance
Attracting stronger talent
As an employee, solid and useful programs at the workplace will reward them with benefits that money cannot buy. They will feel like the business is looking out for them and not just the numbers they produce. The workplace will feel more like a community rather than a place they grudgingly arrive at each day.
Activities to consider:
Encouraging employees to eat healthy options. Examples could be to have a green only day or a no junk food day
Allow time for employees during the week to participate in active sport (gym or team-sport). This can have the added benefit of building teamwork skills while also improving health and well-being.
Having a stress management action plan to assist those that are starting to be overwhelmed by their work.
Every now and then, organise a company-wide event or getaway. To get everyone involved and have some time to get to know one another outside of the work setting.
Take Home Message:
Well-being programs don’t need to be highly cost intensive or time-consuming activities that will ultimately be detrimental to the organisation. They need to be relevant and fit the people working there (you’ll need a clear company culture!). They can range from medical support to simple relaxation time for the employees. It is a way to show you care and you want to be involved in improving their life. Wellbeing programs benefit both the employer and the employee in the long run. The workplace isn’t full of robots…it is filled with people.
