Four tips to elevate your employees' well-being.
Last week the famous Canadian activewear company Lululemon released a very detailed global wellbeing report, illustrating that only 29 percent of global respondents indicate strong wellbeing.1 The study reveals that there is a huge opportunity for employers to support their employees through these unprecedented times. Only 15 percent of those employed strongly agree that their employer offers sufficient resources that support their overall wellbeing.2By adopting a holistic approach and a proactive mindset, stronger wellbeing can be catalyzed. Thus, we have come up with 4 easy to implement tips to help you elevate your employee’s wellbeing.
1. An Online Fitness/Wellness Subscription
These days, there is an online workout subscription available for every budget. By having a subscription to an online fitness company, employees can attend virtual classes and be more active during the day specially when working from home. Offering this to your employees will not only help with increasing their physical wellbeing but can also have a positive impact on their work motivation. Having a lunch break yoga session or an after work HIIT workout session will allow your colleagues to build stronger physical wellbeing and tap into a more positive mental and emotional wellbeing too. If a workout is not preferred, then an app that encourages walking outside would be a great idea! The Ommetje App for example allows you to share walks with people and track your steps during the day. It is not only a great way to motivate people to walk and be outdoors but it also contributes to building stronger social connections which affects wellbeing.
2. Provide Support for Mental Health
These can be tough times, whether on a personal level or work-related, so it is important to get support when needed and ensure we don’t feel lonely or isolated. Like everyone else, employees might feel lost or lonely and in need of some guidance during these unprecedented times. Having a workplace coach can be very beneficial during these times in order to increase the mental well-being of your employees. If you do not have a budget for it, you can utilize technology to your own benefit and create a support system where people can support each other on various subjects. For instance, consider an office buddy program where employees can sign up to support one another. There are endless creative ways to create a support network that suits your own needs as an organisation.
Only 15 percent of those employed strongly agree that their employer offers sufficient resources that support their overall wellbeing.
3. Weekly Check-in’s
For companies that are just starting off, it might be hard to create a budget to invest in employees’ wellbeing. But there are things, like weekly check-in sessions, that can be done without any financial commitment. Weekly check-in sessions can take place as one-to-one meetings where you can exchange thoughts or ideas with your colleagues, whether work related or not. This could be very rewarding for both the employee and the employer because by creating a time dedicated for ‘checking-in’, a free flow of ideas, insights as well as feedback can be shared. This helps evaluate and assess problems as or before they arise, whether they are problems with customers, suppliers or internal teams. By creating a safe space where employees can share what is on their mind, their mental wellbeing will surely be supported.
4. Creating a Zen Space
If and when your employees are in the office, this could be a highly effective idea. By investing in a space where employees can relax, read a book or perhaps watch a movie, they can enjoy higher quality breaks and be more effective when working. A simple re-do of a room in the office to turn it into a space of relaxation and fun, this will increase their productivity as well as overall mental wellbeing. Consider both the relaxing as well as the entertainment dynamics, in the same space or preferably in different spaces. The right interior design will help the atmosphere to be zen and relaxing in a quiet space and vibrant and engaging in an entertainment space. But in times like right now, where working from home is the norm, it could also be a nice incentive to allow your employees to invest in creating their own fun and/or relaxing spaces in their own homes. Depending on your budget, there are many options from specific items. From a soothing candle to a natural lighting light fixture (we love Philips’ Hue product line) to gift cards. Whether they need a complete re-do of a room to turn it into a home office or they simply need a comfortable ergonomic chair to work, it will be highly beneficial for working from home days.
Whether your teams are working from the office or from home, these tips will come in handy when trying to find a way to elevate your employees’ wellbeing. It is more important than ever now to invest time and effort into the overall wellbeing of your colleagues and it will be rewarded with motivation and dedication! If you are interested in the full lululemon report, mentioned in the article please click here.
Coming out of lockdown is likely to be a gradual process, heavily restricted by a number of measures. What kind of workplace can we go back to? What would it take to make going back to the office work? How do we adapt our workplaces to the 1.5 meters economy? What about the social, psychological and emotional dimensions of employees’ well-being? If you are looking for help in how to understand your employees’ new needs and expectations and how to create the perfect Hybrid model that suits your organisation, get in touch! We have been helping our clients create a new way of working transform their workplaces we would be happy to assist you too.
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