So, now you know why it’s so important to have a proactive, visible and robust wellbeing strategy. But what elements go into this? While the list below isn’t an exhaustive one, all the things mentioned are ones you should definitely consider.
This tends to be one of the first wellbeing benefits employees look for. Health is wealth, and being able to offer some type of cover is crucial.
This helps them deal with the costs of treatments, check-ups, as well as including things like dental and vision coverage.
Some companies also offer plans that cover family members.
Financial wellbeing is something that pretty much every employee wants help with — now more than ever. People want help with their day-to-day expenses, which is why employee discount schemes have become such a key part of the wellbeing strategy for businesses.
These allow people to save money on things like their grocery shopping and household items — as well as less frequent purchases such as holidays. Generally the savings can be made in a variety of ways — from vouchers, to instant e-gift cards, to online codes. As well as easing the financial pressure on employees, a scheme like this has a positive impact on their mental wellbeing as well. Ultimately, the cost of living crisis requires employers to help their people in multiple ways, as we show here.
It’s important that your business has a very visible culture of wellbeing. Employees need to know that you take this seriously.
In particular, they need to feel comfortable discussing any challenges they’re having. Why not get senior leaders to set the tone? Get them to be open about any wellbeing challenges they’ve personally had, and reinforce the fact that it’s okay to ask for help. This can have a major impact on the rest of the business.
When it comes to mental health support, make it clear who your staff can turn to. Managers are an obvious port of call, but try and get as many people trained up as Mental Health First Aiders as possible. Some employees will find it easier to talk to a peer, rather than a manager, so cover all bases.
As open as your culture might be, there are some things employees may not want to talk about. In particular, they may have a range of problems outside of work which cause them issues. They may not want to speak to you about this, but by offering access to a professional, you can still help. If you can’t offer this for free, you should be able to negotiate a discounted rate for blocks of sessions — if you don’t think you can do this directly, speak to a benefits partner.
When it comes to physical wellbeing, everybody will have their own individual challenges. Some people may want to lose weight, others may want to build up their strength or flexibility.
Offering them free or discounted access to gyms and yoga sessions gives them the ability to pick what works for them. At the same time, you should ensure that you offer digital options as well, such as online classes and workout videos . A few years ago, simply offering a gym membership and a Cycle to Work scheme would be enough. But in an era of borderless working, where employees are working remotely — you need to cater for a more virtual experience.
Think of this in a similar way to above. People will have their own challenges — be it anxiety, stress, depression, imposter syndrome, or anything else. Give people the tools to help with these, as and when they need.
The counselling sessions mentioned earlier will help, as will Employee Assistance Programmes. Again however, you need to look at digital tools as well. Things like mindfulness apps and talking therapies have grown in popularity, and are perfect for people that need support to be easily accessible, on a 24/7 basis.
The environment employees work in has a major impact on wellbeing. Let’s face it, there’s nothing worse than sitting in a dark, uncomfortable spot all day, every day.
For those employees who are on site — such as at head office, in a factory, or in a store — try and get as much natural light in as possible. This is proven to help with people’s physical and mental health.
An area for socialising is great as well. It doesn’t need to be packed with games consoles and pool tables. Simply somewhere comfortable where people can relax and talk will do the trick.
The ability to work from home, vary hours and have a better work-life balance is good for physical, mental and financial wellbeing.
It gives employees time back during the day to exercise, meditate, make a healthy meal rather than grab a desk lunch, or simply take a breather.
It reduces the risk of burnout. It also boosts their disposable income by reducing their commuting and/or childcare costs.
When putting together your wellbeing strategy, analyse your business and see how flexible you can be in terms of how and where employees work. Some people may want the option to work remotely. Some may want to start a little later, to squeeze in an early workout or drop the kids off to school. Others may be happy being in the office and working a standard 9-5, but would like their headphones in to listen to music. The more you can tailor your working model to employee needs, the better it is for their wellbeing.
Line managers are a critical part of your wellbeing efforts. As mentioned earlier, they are often the first port of call for employees.
Ensure they’re well trained in the art of 1-2-1 meetings from a wellbeing perspective. This is especially important for those that have a lot of remote employees.
Regular check-ins should be part and parcel of their working week, but equally important is knowing what to ask. These meetings should be more than just discussing projects and objectives. Below are examples of questions that are good to ask:
We’ve spoken about exercise, but just as important is what people put into their bodies.
While you can’t dictate to people what they eat and drink, your wellbeing strategy can definitely encourage healthy habits.
On a very basic level, you can provide information and resources relating to this. You may think you’re stating the obvious, but there’ll always be some nuggets of information that people find useful.
If your employees tend to buy lunch, how about providing gift cards to businesses that offer healthy lunches? The choice is down to the individual employee, but this reduces the chances of them eating junk food.
If your organisation has a staff canteen, make sure there are things available to employees that are nutritious and filling.
Plan your employee wellbeing strategy today with our easy-to-use template. It'll help you:
