Prioritising employee wellbeing to boost performance at work

This means that employee wellbeing isn’t just a personal issue, it’s something that can impact your entire company – and its success.

Employee wellbeing

Research shows employee wellbeing can directly correlate with key performance indicators.

For example, employee satisfaction positively correlates with customer loyalty and negatively correlates with staff turnover, factors reflected in the higher profitability of business units.

As former leader of Starbucks Howard Schultz once said: “happy employees = happy customers”.

This aligns with the human relations theory, which associates higher employee well-being with higher morale: leading to higher productivity. The emotions theory also reflects this, arguing that positive emotions lead to heightened motivation and therefore better work.

It’s evident positive employee wellbeing is key to business, but what exactly is employee wellbeing?

Employee wellbeing refers to the overall health of an employee: mental health, physical health and satisfaction within the workplace.

Physical health

Physical health difficulties can exhibit in all kinds of ways.

Employees may suffer from chronic health conditions, flare-ups, or occasional bouts of sickness.

Providing support for employees with physical health difficulties is crucial to maintaining a consistent level of productivity.

Mental health

As is far more understood now, health issues aren’t always physical. Mental health difficulties can easily go undetected, despite the huge impact they can have.

Some key indicators to look out for are an increase in absences, a sudden drop in performance, and isolation from the rest of the team.

Strategies to increase employee wellbeing

Employee wellbeing is influenced by how your staff are supported in the workplace.

Comprehensive wellbeing strategies create a culture where employees feel they are supported to perform meaningful work. These strategies have been shown to positively impact overall firm performance.

Workplace culture

Perhaps the easiest way to support employee wellbeing, regardless of circumstance, is to encourage a culture of open communication and support in the workplace.

This positive atmosphere can boost morale and encourage employees to seek support where necessary. A shift in workplace culture can be a relatively simple, unified approach that boosts overall performance.

Flexible working hours

Flexible working is a recent trend that boasts a surprising number of benefits, especially for employee well-being. It is not synonymous with home working; it could be as little as a change to start and finish times or as big as a job share.

Reduced commuting time and an improved work-life balance can be beneficial to employees with health difficulties, whilst encouraging an increased, streamlined approach to productivity. Flexible working is shown to reduce rates of absence – driving productivity and results.

It is not appropriate for every company or role, and you do have a right to refuse it when requested, if you follow the correct process.

Mental health resources

Implementing mental health resources into your workplace can be a valuable investment: increasing morale, attracting talented new employees, and reducing turnover rates.

There’s a variety of different resources you could include, from counselling services, mental health apps, support groups or training up a mental health first-aider.

Wellness programmes

Another way to boost the general well-being of employees is through wellness programmes via your employee benefits. Wellness programmes can take many forms, from gym schemes and wellness talks to team building activities. This is a great way to boost morale and overall commitment towards your company mission.

Get more information and support.