The Quick Guide to Crafting Your Employee Wellbeing Strategy

In the hustle and bustle of the modern corporate world, where targets and deadlines often take precedence, one critical aspect that shouldn’t be overlooked is the well-being of your employees. After all, a thriving, contented workforce is the cornerstone of a successful company. But what exactly is an employee wellbeing strategy, and why is it so vital?

Let’s dive into this crucial topic and explore how you can craft an effective strategy to ensure the physical, mental, and emotional health of your team.

Section 1: Defining Employee Wellbeing Strategy

Understanding the Essentials

An employee wellbeing strategy is like a secret recipe that enhances the overall health and satisfaction of your workforce. It’s not just about having a fruit bowl in the office kitchen or organising the occasional yoga session. Rather, it’s a comprehensive plan that systematically addresses the diverse needs and challenges your employees face. It’s holistic, flexible, and, most importantly, sustainable for the long term.

It encompasses a wide array of factors – from providing access to quality healthcare to promoting a culture of mental health awareness and support. It’s about creating a workplace that nurtures the growth and development of your employees, both personally and professionally.

In essence, it’s the blueprint for a happier, healthier, and more productive team.

Why Does an Employee Wellbeing Strategy Matter?

Now, you might be thinking ‘Do we really need to invest time and resources into this?’

The short answer is, absolutely. Employee wellbeing strategy isn’t a frivolous trend; it’s a fundamental element of modern business success. When your employees feel well-supported, they’re more likely to be engaged, motivated, and, ultimately, more productive. This results in lower absenteeism, better retention rates, and a positive impact on your bottom line.

Imagine your business as a finely-tuned machine – your employees are the cogs that keep it running smoothly. If even one of those cogs starts to rust, it can affect the entire operation. An employee wellbeing strategy is like the oil that keeps your cogs in pristine condition, ensuring that each member of your team functions at their best.

To give some examples, here at New Leaf Health, we work with some of the largest organisations in the UK. Organisations such as Rolls Royce, British Airways, Mars, Procter & Gamble, Ubisoft, and Capita all undertake employee wellbeing services with us. And that’s not us boasting; if some of the largest companies in the world are prioritising employee wellbeing, then it must have a positive impact on staff, as well as the bottom line.

Section 2: The Key Components of an Employee Wellbeing Strategy

Physical Wellbeing

Physical health is the foundation of any effective wellbeing strategy. After all, a healthy body is more resilient to the stresses of the workplace. Lots of organisations offer healthcare benefits that cover regular check-ups, as well as health promotion sessions. Encourage physical activity by providing gym memberships or organising fitness challenges. Even something as simple as ergonomic office furniture can make a big difference in preventing long-term health issues.

Moreover, promoting a healthy work-life balance is paramount. Encourage your employees to take breaks, go for walks, or just relax for a moment during the day. By doing so, you reduce the risk of burnout and create a culture that prioritises health.

Emotional and Mental Wellbeing

While physical health is crucial, you mustn’t neglect the emotional and mental aspects of wellbeing. Stress, anxiety, and depression are increasingly prevalent in the workplace, and a robust strategy should address these issues head-on. Offer access to counselling services, create a stigma-free environment for discussing mental health, and educate your team on managing stress and maintaining a work-life balance.

Fostering a sense of community and belonging is equally important. Employees who feel isolated are more likely to experience mental health challenges. Organise team-building activities, promote open communication, and consider flexible working arrangements to help your employees maintain their emotional and mental equilibrium.

Financial and Social Wellbeing

These final two areas, though often less prominently covered in the workplace, form the remainder of the ‘four pillars’ of an employee wellbeing strategy.

Financial wellbeing isn’t about salary or benefits, but a holistic approach to an employee’s circumstances. Can they afford to commute to work? Are their bills causing them stress and emotional harm? Do their circumstances limit them from improving their wellbeing? i.e. not able to afford higher quality/healthier foods.

It’s then a case of looking at ways to support financial wellbeing with sensitivity, and without being patronising. You could offer your staff workshops on budgeting, personal finance, and even concepts like managing a mortgage or pension. Additionally, for those who are financially well, you could look at bolstering this by offering workshops on investing money for future growth.

Social wellbeing is now more important than ever, especially given the rise in home and hybrid working. Whilst these approaches can support the mental and financial wellbeing of colleagues, the workplace may be a key social venue for some. Extended periods away could lead to feelings of loneliness and isolation, which can spiral into further mental health difficulties.

Social wellbeing as part of an employee wellbeing strategy is all about finding the right balance. Make sure that you give colleagues the opportunity to connect with each other if they want to. This could be in the form of a social web meeting, or even an in-person social outing, for those willing. It’s important not to force people to be social, either, though. Balance is the key here.

Section 3: Crafting Your Unique Employee Wellbeing Strategy

Needs Assessment

One size does not fit all when it comes to employee wellbeing. Your employees have their own unique needs, and it’s essential to conduct a needs assessment to understand them fully. This can be done through surveys, focus groups, or one-on-one discussions. By identifying specific areas that need attention, you can customise your strategy to address these needs effectively.

This is a crucial step that will form the basis of your wellbeing strategy. There is often a temptation to skip this process and to focus on what budget or circumstance allows. Whilst any wellbeing intervention is better than none, giving your staff the opportunity to have a hand in guiding your employee wellbeing strategy can actually be a boost to wellbeing in itself. In other words, don’t skip this step!

Goal Setting

Once you have a clear picture of your employees’ needs, set specific goals for your wellbeing strategy. These goals should be ‘SMART’. If you don’t remember the acronym from school, here’s a quick refresher for you:

• Specific – state exactly what will need to be done.
• Measurable – clear what success will look like.
• Accepted – decided on by all participants in the process.
• Realistic – know it is practical – steps can be taken to do it.
• Time-bound – state when it will be achieved.

As an example, you may decide as a business that you’d like to reduce stress-related absenteeism. A SMART target to help achieve that might look like this:

S	We would like to reduce stress-related absences across the business.
M	We will reduce the rate of stress-related absences by 20%.
A	Through our needs assessment, we have determined that 50% of our staff experience stress at work every week.
R	Recent industry research indicates that resilience training can help to improve mental health outcomes.
T	We will achieve this by the time we undertake our annual wellbeing survey, next April.

We’re a happy bunch here at New Leaf, so I made these figures up. But that goes to show just how easy it is to go a step beyond just saying ‘Let’s reduce staff stress’. This approach keeps your employee wellbeing strategy relevant and accountable so that you can continuously improve it.

Implementation and Communication

Implementing your strategy requires a well-thought-out plan. Assign responsibilities, allocate budgets, and create a timeline for rolling out your initiatives (training Wellbeing Champions is always a great idea for this). Importantly, ensure that your employees are well-informed. Clear and transparent communication about the strategy’s goals and the resources available to them is essential to its success.

Additionally, communicating your strategy to your employees can actually be a boost to welling itself. You’re demonstrating that you’re spending time and resources on their wellbeing – that you care about them.

Monitoring and Adjusting an Employee Wellbeing Strategy

Your employee wellbeing strategy is not set in stone. Regularly monitor its effectiveness through surveys, feedback, and relevant data. If you notice that certain aspects aren’t yielding the expected results or if new needs arise, don’t hesitate to adjust your strategy accordingly.

Flexibility is key to ensuring that your strategy remains aligned with the evolving needs of your workforce. Don’t be afraid to switch things up. If something doesn’t work, it’s not a sign of failure – you’ve learned something new, and are closer to finding the right approach for your colleagues.

Section 4: Measuring Success and Celebrating Achievements

Metrics and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Evaluating the success of your employee wellbeing strategy is vital. You need to know if your efforts are making a difference. Establish clear KPIs to measure the impact. These might include reduced absenteeism, improved employee satisfaction scores, lower turnover rates, or increased productivity.

Whilst business metrics and KPIs will be important, don’t be afraid of direct feedback from your staff. Surveys will help you understand exactly how your staff are engaging with your wellbeing programme. They may tell you that your ideas are terrible. But that’s okay. Take their feedback and improve your approach.

Don’t forget, the strategy is not about your skills as a wellbeing leader, but about the needs of your staff – and these will change all of the time.

Celebrating Achievements

When you see positive results, don’t forget to celebrate your achievements. Acknowledge the efforts of your team, both in designing and implementing the strategy.

Don’t be afraid to share the success. Share stories with staff and recognise employees who have embraced the wellbeing initiatives. This not only boosts morale but also encourages more employees to actively participate in the programme. You are showing staff just how well your programme works, and the more people that engage, the more benefits your business will reap.

Conclusion

In conclusion, an employee wellbeing strategy is not a mere buzzword; it’s a cornerstone of success in the modern workplace. By creating a plan that encompasses physical, emotional, and mental health – as well as financial and social, if required – you can foster a thriving, contented workforce that is more engaged, motivated, and productive. Remember, a one-size-fits-all approach won’t work.

Customise your strategy based on the unique needs of your employees, set clear goals, implement with precision, and regularly monitor and adjust to keep it effective. As you witness positive changes in your workplace, celebrate your achievements, and watch your business flourish like never before. Employee wellbeing is not just a strategy; it’s the key to unlocking your company’s true potential.