Promoting Wellbeing in the Workplace

by Sophia Dass

​There is strong evidence to support the fact that companies perform better when staff are healthy (both physically and mentally), motivated, and focused. FTSE 100 companies that prioritise employee engagement and wellbeing outperform the rest of the FTSE 100 by 10 per cent.

By fostering staff wellbeing in a supportive and open environment, organisations reap the benefits through loyalty, commitment, heightened morale, innovation, productivity and profitability, according to mental health charity Mind.

Promoting mental health and wellbeing in the workplace is therefore important for employees and their employers, but also for the economy and society as a whole.

But how can organisations promote this wellbeing? Key contributing factors include employees feeling that their work is meaningful, and that they are supported and valued by their peers and employers. When this is the case, wellbeing levels tend to be higher.

The day-to-day demands of a corporate environment can be taxing, which is why it’s so important to create a culture of support and wellbeing.  Here are Flame’s top tips to ensure that all employees are fully supported:

Regular one-to-ones

At Flame, each account executive is paired with an account manager. The account manager oversees their junior’s day-to-day activity and is on hand for any support required. One-to-one meetings are scheduled on a weekly or bi-weekly basis – dependent on the account executive’s preference – to set work-related goals and discuss upcoming projects. However, these sessions can also be used to discuss any personal problems that might be affecting work performance or the ability to feel at ease in the workplace. 

Regular one-to-ones are a great way to boost employee morale and build mutual trust. By identifying issues, employees can get the support they need and consequently, work to the best of their ability.

Learning and personal development

It’s really important to create a positive culture that values all members of staff and invests in their skills. By doing so, commitment is more likely to be maintained and productivity levels should rise.

Giving staff development opportunities can be done in cost-effective ways by using the existing skills and knowledge within the organisation to develop coaching, learning, and training. For example, running monthly “lunch and learn” sessions can be used as an informal method for extending learning and stimulating creativity in the workplace. 

Whilst many individuals value their lunch periods as an opportunity to reset for the afternoon, an educational session that occasionally eats into this period (pardon the pun!) can contribute towards a greater sense of peer support and team learning.
 
Keep staff in the loop

Two-way communication is key to improving wellbeing in the workplace. Poor communication can be a significant cause of stress – for example, if staff feel overloaded with information they cannot process, or are unable to voice their ideas/views to senior employees, wellbeing and engagement levels will be negatively impacted.

By creating a transparent environment, where open dialogue is promoted, staff will be able to access all the information they need to do their job while avoiding overload. 

Work/life balance

As a PR agency, we like to go above and beyond for our clients.  However, in order to service clients to the best of our ability, we know that it’s important for all members of the team to have a healthy work/life balance.

Of course, long hours are sometimes unavoidable, but sustained pressure can quickly lead to stress and burnout, reducing levels of productivity in the long term.

This can be avoided by encouraging staff to work sensible hours, take full lunch breaks, recuperate after busy periods, avoid working at weekends and take full annual leave entitlement.

At Flame, we schedule team socials on a bi-monthly basis – we believe that enjoyable activities enable employees to cultivate healthy relationships outside of the work environment, as well as helping them to de-stress.  Arranging social events demonstrates care for employees and emphasises the importance of incorporating fun into corporate life. This can translate into better productivity rates and promotes a positive and friendly atmosphere.
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We all have a right to feel healthy and happy whilst doing our job. And considering the amount of time we spend at work, it’s important that employees ensure the workplace environment and culture has a positive effect on all employees’ wellbeing.