It’s a no-brainer; research suggests that positive employee wellbeing boosts productivity and worker motivation and reduces staff turnover and absenteeism. Although the benefits of happy workers are evident, it can be challenging to prop up and maintain a workplace culture that fosters staff morale.
Many variables impact employees’ welfare and job satisfaction, from mental health to physical illnesses, sleep troubles, family problems, and, of course, workplace issues. While business owners may be unable to cure these common complaints, they can make life easier for employees by incorporating factors into their business model that improves workforce wellbeing.
Conduct Employee Surveys
If you, the boss or manager, don’t know about your teams’ struggles, how can you help them? That’s where regular surveys come in, which can help you discover any past, ongoing, or new problems plaguing workers, as well as enable you to assess how you can help them manage the situation and any related stress they feel.
Undertake Risk Assessments
Wellbeing isn’t just emotional; the term also comprises your workforce’s physical health. Risk assessments reveal how safe your workplace and equipment are for employees and allow you to address any safety concerns before they develop and potentially harm someone.
Have Insurance
Business insurance is one of the main pillars holding up a company’s defenses. There are numerous kinds of insurance, but one of the most common is general liability insurance; however, a policy of that kind tends to cover the general public, not necessarily employees.
In order to protect employees from financial woes stemming from workplace injuries or illnesses, workers’ compensation insurance is advised. This kind of policy may cover medical expenses, lost wages, retraining, and other circumstances to support workers financially after a work-related incident. Plus, it could also cover the business if a staff member sues.
Be Compliant with Regulations
While this may sound like a redundant point, it’s surprising how many business owners cut corners in terms of regulations.
Of course, jurisdictions have their own rules, and businesses in different areas may have unique mandates on what they are obligated to provide employees with health and safety-wise. However, a good employer will always follow regulations to the letter – as well as look at ways of going above and beyond to heighten employee health and safety.
Promote Flexibility
Modern life is stressful and busy, and striving to fit family commitments around jobs is a common cocktail with a disastrous hangover – one resulting in long-term stress and emotional health consequences.
Furthermore, mental health is a huge issue in the modern day; figures from the CDC state that depression leads to an estimated 200 million lost workdays annually – costing employers $17 billion to $44 billion.
Naturally, mental health is taxing on companies financially, but that’s not the main issue for workers. Their health is more important, and it should be to business owners, too. How can a business operate on burned-out employees suffering day in and day out? The answer: it can’t.
What companies can do, though, is offer teams greater work flexibility that enables work-life balance – which then leads to reduced stress and improved mental health. Working remotely, hybrid working, and non-standardized work hours is an excellent solution, allowing employees more control over their time – and their lives.
Provide Wellbeing Programs
As mentioned, the working world is a stressful place, and many people struggle to balance their lives, families, health, and other responsibilities with their jobs, often leading to worsened mental states.
In fact, job strain and long hours are associated with suicide ideation among workers; thus, employers must take their staff’s health seriously – both mentally and physically.
Progressive businesses today offer wellbeing programs to their employees, sometimes in the form of health insurance, free or discounted gym, employee counseling, and access to resources and services that help them manage their health and wellbeing.
Be one of those forward-thinking businesses, and your employees will thrive, staying with you for the long haul as their job satisfaction levels soar.
Lynn Martelli is an editor at Readability. She received her MFA in Creative Writing from Antioch University and has worked as an editor for over 10 years. Lynn has edited a wide variety of books, including fiction, non-fiction, memoirs, and more. In her free time, Lynn enjoys reading, writing, and spending time with her family and friends.
