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Well-being is a hot topic in many workplaces right now.
The reason is simple – employees now place greater value on their physical and mental well-being than they did in the past.
In fact, according to Forbes magazine, more than nine in ten workers value their well-being as much as their pay packets, with nearly half of them willing to give up 10% of their salaries to boost wellness benefits.
That means that employers need to know how to support workers suffering from a gamut of health and emotional issues – from depression and the menopause to financial worries and back pain.
Below, you will find a few tips on how to do just that.
Mental Health
When it comes to workplace well-being, mental health is the biggie.
In 2022/23, an estimated 875,000 UK workers suffered from some sort of work‑related stress, depression or anxiety, leading to 17.1 million lost working days.
While mental health can be a tricky issue to broach in a workplace, there are a few commonsense moves that will allow a company to address the issue.
They are:
- Provide Employee Assistance programmes (EAPs) or prompt access to counselling services.
- Establish supportive policies, include mental health literacy, and develop inclusive cultures.
- Train managers to recognise and handle mental health conversations with subordinates better.
- Adopt a bespoke and proactive approach to mental healththat takes into account the worker’s background and life experience.
Menopause Friendly
Given that half the workforce is female, and around a fifth of them are aged 40+, it’s not surprising that menopause is having its moment as a major health and well-being issue at the moment.
Taking the menopause seriously means:
- Giving female workers paid leave or sick days when they are suffering from menopause-related symptoms.
- Giving employees access to menopause-related care, including hormone replacement therapy.
- Providing education and support that addresses the physical, social, mental and financial impacts of the menopause.
Biophilic Workplaces
The natural world is known to have a plethora of health-related benefits, including improved mood, focus, and reduced stress levels.
This is especially important in open-plan office spaces, as their modular design and lack of structure can sometimes have a cloistering effect on workers, affecting their physical and mental well-being.
An open plan office space can combat this by letting as much natural light in as possible and by using strategically deployed natural elements like planters and greenery to bring the outdoors inside.
Here’s how:
- Use desk plants, large planters, and living walls to greenify the space.
- Source materials used in the office from natural materials like wood, stone, cork, and bamboo and use natural fabrics like wool, linen, and cotton for furnishings.
- Go for organic shapes when it comes to the overall office aesthetic and use curves instead of sharp angles and patterns found in nature for wallpaper and decoration.
- Deploy a water feature if possible.
- Introduce natural sounds (birds, flowing water) in break and rest areas.
Space to Breathe
The workplace can be a busy, noisy environment, meaning employees don’t have a moment to relax or collect their thoughts.
Breaks are important, but just as important is a quiet place to unwind when taking them.
Screens, room dividers, and chill-out pods (like the ones from Rap Office Screens) are a great way to provide workers with a place they can take a breath.
Conclusion
Boosting worker well-being is an ongoing effort, not a one-off exercise.
That’s why many organisations have started to use continuous listening methods, such as pulse surveys, to keep on top of workplace wellbeing.
By tracking employee sentiment over time, managers and support staff can adopt a more proactive approach to staying on top of workers’ mental and physical well-being.
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