Promoting positive employee wellbeing and reducing absences

Rebecca Mian at Benenden Health highlights the importance of implementing wellbeing strategies in the workplace and the steps firms should take to ensure these are fit for purpose

 

In today’s fast-paced and competitive business landscape, organisations are increasingly recognising the significant impact of employee wellbeing on productivity, performance, and overall success.

 

When it comes to absenteeism, recent figures show that two and a half million people are currently not working due to health problems - a new record in the UK.

 

The impact of absenteeism on a business is significant, but there are steps that can be taken to improve the overall wellbeing of your people and in doing so, reduce the cost it is having on your organisation.

 

Removing the stigma

A crucial issue to address in order to improve overall employee wellbeing, and address health problems head on, is to remove – or at least reduce - the stigma surrounding our health.

 

Unfortunately, employees frequently describe feelings of shame, embarrassment, weakness and inferiority when it comes to discussing their health with their employers.

 

This is especially pertinent when it comes to mental wellbeing, with recent Benenden Health research finding that only one in ten employees would confide in their employer if they were suffering from a mental health condition.

 

To promote openness around physical and mental health, employers need to take proactive steps, which ultimately enables them to produce a wellbeing strategy that works for their entire workforce.

 

A well-circulated and promoted strategy demonstrates a company’s commitment to removing the stigma and taking action to support employees’ health requirements. It should also be made clear that employees will receive immediate help, rather than face discrimination or judgement when they open-up about health issues.

 

Building a strategy that works

When developing a health and wellbeing strategy, it is important to listen to employees and understand their needs and desires. Conducting employee engagement surveys and analysing data from existing initiatives can provide valuable insights into the key areas that need improvement.

 

Tangible data, such as sickness records, employee demographics, and exit surveys, can be used to understand existing and recurring health-related trends within the business and enable a tailored strategy to be developed.

 

It’s important that a one-size-fits-all approach, or a box-ticking exercise, isn’t taken here. Understanding the specific healthcare requirements of your workforce will enable appropriate support to be included in your strategy, meaning that employees have the relevant support for the issues most likely to affect them.

 

For example, is your workforce made up predominantly of people of a certain age, or gender? Do your employees do a lot of manual work, or are they typically sat at a desk for the majority of their days? Can the nature of work cause significant stress?

 

These are all factors to consider when developing wellbeing policies, but the best way to understand these requirements is to collaborate with your employees directly.

 

A robust health and wellbeing strategy will join up the right initiatives, helping employees avoid and manage health issues, whilst also providing greater support to return people to work more effectively if they do become unwell. Therefore, employers should consider including a range of ‘preventative’ and ‘remedial’ initiatives in their wellbeing strategies. 

 

The first consideration here is how to keep your people fit, healthy and on top of their health before issues occur - an employee who is physically fit, and looks after their diet, is likely to have fewer sick days as they are generally more resistant to any "bugs going around" than a person who isn’t physically fit.

 

To help employees improve their lifestyle, consider incorporating healthy living initiatives to encourage movement throughout the day and positive relationships with sleep and diet. Similarly, including benefits such as flexible working and mood-boosting activities such as team volunteering initiatives to your strategy – where suitable - can reduce the likelihood of stress and poor mental health affecting your employees.

 

Secondly, it’s important to help employees return to work quicker when health issues do occur – however effective your wellbeing strategy is, illness and absences remain inevitable.  When employees are off work, providing business healthcare as part of your health and wellbeing strategy could help them to receive a quicker diagnosis and swifter treatment, reducing long-term absence and impact on business performance.

 

As long as your strategy is well-informed and appropriate for your workforce’s specific needs, and combined with strong and open leadership, you will help to combat the effect of absenteeism and indeed, presenteeism, so when your team is at work, they are thriving at work.

 

Encouraging participation

Once your strategy has been developed, encouraging participation is a crucial aspect of promoting positive wellbeing in the workplace. Consider communicating your commitment and approach by promoting your strategy through various channels such as meetings, one-to-ones, intranet, emailers and newsletters.

 

These communication channels ensure that employees are aware of the initiatives and can actively engage with them. You could also consider appointing health and wellbeing champions for employees who may feel more comfortable speaking directly to another person.

 

Regularly assessing and evaluating

Evolving your approach to wellbeing based on feedback and effectiveness is essential for long-term success. Regularly collecting feedback and data through employee engagement surveys can provide valuable insights into the effectiveness of the initiatives. This feedback-driven approach allows organisations to refine and develop their strategy over time, ensuring it remains relevant and impactful.

 

At a time when absences are at an all-time high and recruitment and retention remain a significant challenge, businesses need to show a commitment to employee wellbeing more than ever before.

 

By implementing strategies that prioritise mental and physical health, remove stigmas, provide support, and create a positive work culture, organisations can improve productivity, reduce absenteeism, and foster a healthier and happier workforce.

 

Taking this proactive approach to wellbeing will therefore not only benefit employees but will also contribute to the overall success of an organisation, at a time when many need it most.

 

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Rebecca Mian is Head of Human Resources at not-for-profit healthcare provider, Benenden Health. If you are unsure where to start, Benenden Health has developed a free health and wellbeing strategy template, to help you take the necessary steps to make big changes within your organisation

 

Main image courtesy of iStockPhoto.com