A recent survey conducted by Deloitte found that, out of 6,000 workers from around the globe, 80% thought that workplace well-being should be one of their employer’s top objectives. Prioritising your team’s mental wellbeing yields dividends for all concerned; employees feel valued and are motivated to put their best foot forward and employers get to enjoy the benefits of having an attentive and committed workforce. But how do you create and maintain a positive work environment? Listed below are several actions available to employers.
Foster a culture of positive wellbeing
The benefits of nurturing a positive workplace atmosphere go both ways, with companies that actively promote the wellbeing of their workers experiencing higher levels of employee engagement. They also tend to find it easier to attract and retain talent. However, what do we mean when we talk about a culture of positive wellbeing in the workplace? The term itself is relatively broad and has far-reaching implications, encompassing the physicality of the workspace and its facilities, the social environment and the mental well-being support available, all the way through to the opportunities for professional development and career advancement.
All in all, it can be broken down into four categories:
Career
The extent to which employees enjoy their day-to-day activities and derive satisfaction from the work they do.
Social
The emotional fulfilment employees receive from their social relationships within the workplace.
Physical
The energy levels of employees and whether they have sufficient capacity and motivation to complete their allocated tasks.
Financial
Whether or not their financial compensation is sufficient to allow employees to lead what they consider to be a ‘good life’.
So what are some ways that employers can build a workplace culture that supports positive well-being? We’ve put together some ideas:
Make employees feel valued and included
Involving employees in higher-level decision-making can help to shorten the perceived distance between leadership and employees.There are a number of ways to do this, including the establishment of working groups with the CEO or other members of the executive team, undertaking regular surveys on employee satisfaction and providing straightforward road maps for career advancement.
Flexible location, flexible time
Giving employees flexibility around the time and place they work has become the norm for many organisations in the wake of the pandemic and this has been roundly recognised as a win for all: employees are empowered to work in the way that best suits their circumstances and employers enjoy the benefits that come with a more satisfied workforce. It’s also a good idea to maintain a dedicated office space where employees can come to focus if there are too many distractions at home.
Improved salaries, promotions and other benefits
Helping to ease the financial burden of your employees, especially those in lower-paid positions, can make a huge difference to their sense of wellbeing in the workplace. The more employees feel their hard work is being rewarded, the more inclined they will be to deliver it on a consistent basis. Other benefits, such as salary packaging and assistance with insurance or healthcare are also great ways to materially reward staff.
Reduce burnout and work-related stress
Though not necessarily a medical condition in and of itself, burnout has the potential to negatively impact employee mental health and physical wellbeing and can be incredibly difficult to overcome. Characterised by a sense of complete emotional, physical and mental exhaustion, cynicism towards your work, and doubts around your own professional efficacy, burnout is often the result of workplace stress that the employee has been unable to effectively manage due to its magnitude.
Though difficult to overcome, combating burnout is not impossible. So, along with the activities described above to drive workplace well-being, we’ve accumulated a list of methods for reducing burnout:
Encourage better work-life balance
It’s a term we hear a lot and there’s good reason for it - achieving a balance between our work and personal lives is one of the best ways to mitigate the effects of burnout or even stop it from happening in the first place. Work-life balance means creating a clear division between these two parts of life, such that work and thoughts about it do not adversely impact the quality of your personal time. A great way to do this is to schedule designated time for family, friends, hobbies, holidays and other lifestyle activities, such as exercise. Serviced offices at Central Park include facilities promoting these elements of work-life balance, including our fully staffed fitness centre, lush parklands and luxurious end-of-trip facilities.
Provide mental health support
Giving employees access to mental health support, such as an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) has a two-fold benefit when it comes to reducing burnout. The primary benefit is that it provides employees with a real, tangible way to access support in managing mental health in the workplace while at the same time demonstrating care and understanding on behalf of their employer, which in turn encourages employees to seek this support.
Central Park has a range of facilities that support a positive working environment. Enquire today and discover a new workplace experience.