Is employee wellbeing a key strategy for you? If not, why not?
As economic conditions get tougher, many organisations are looking for ways to improve productivity and workplace performance. But targets, KPIs and slicker tech, while important, aren’t necessarily the answer. It is often employee wellbeing that ultimately influences organisational performance.
Employee wellbeing and productivity are two sides of the same coin. Mental wellbeing is key to ensuring positive experiences at work, improving productivity, reducing absence and boosting retention.
What is wellbeing?
Wellbeing can be defined as how people feel and how they function, both on a personal and a social level, and how they evaluate their lives as a whole.
At its core, how we feel and how we function go hand-in-hand to define our state of wellbeing. The fundamental human need to live safely and happily is something that all people experience.
In the workplace, wellbeing is often thought of as Friday beers, gym memberships and ping-pong tables. While these perks are nice, they don’t address our underlying human needs. When push comes to shove, employee retention, productivity and motivation are rarely improved upon with these schemes alone.
Before COVID-19, most employees reported wellbeing levels closer to the “thriving” end of the wellbeing spectrum. Besides the odd Monday morning lull in motivation, the majority of people were relatively happy in their roles.
However, an ONS survey offers a worrying insight into how COVID-19 affected employees across the UK. 1 in 8 adults developed moderate to severe depressive symptoms. There is no reason to believe the same is not true in Australia or the U.S.A.
Nearly three quarters of employers believe mental health and wellbeing will improve during 2023, according to research from Koa Health. However, research also shows that 72% of employees want more support, and importantly, the right kind of support, which does not always reflect what HR and management currently provides.
No employer wants this variance in understanding. A lack of awareness regarding wellbeing ultimately pushes employees towards the surviving end of the spectrum. Without an effective support system that addresses the specific needs of your people, employees’ productivity and motivation will fall, leaving more room for errors and accidents and increased staff turnover.
Tony Delaney, CEO Brownie Points
