You enter an office, you see one of the following; a dart board, a pool table, a beer fridge… what do you think? A lot has been said about the how beers and pizzas on a Friday are cliché, that it doesn’t actually add anything to your business. But are they right?
Of course they’re right, Friday beer and pizza isn’t everything, however it’s a start, has its place and should form part of a wider culture shift…
Let’s start at the beginning. We all have physical health and safety in mind when protecting employees, this is a given, and Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs states physical safety is the basic of all. Health and safety policy, check, DSE assessments, check, ergonomic chairs, check. Good start.
As we move up the hierarchy, psychological needs are next and sadly there has been an uptick in unhealthy working practices, especially since covid. According to the CIPD, presenteeism is becoming rife and so is 'leavism’, a trend where employees use annual leave when they are unwell or to catch up on work. Not only this, many are attempting to wrestle with hybrid working, finding a new work-life balance as they return to the office, as well as remaining at their home desks.
These, plus many more reasons, are why central to any business should be a well-rounded and considered approach to supporting your employees. But how do you achieve this?
More than health and safety, having a health and wellbeing policy plus an initiatives strategy in place champions a better working life for all and can have mutual benefits for the employer as well as the employee.
In order to develop something that gives real benefits, firstly, consider why you should do this in the first place (and not just because my article says it helps). What would you like to achieve in your organisation when it comes to your people - Better productivity? Reduced absenteeism? Once you understand this, you can develop objectives and set a strategy.
Prior to implementing the strategy, it’s also a good idea to communicate with your employees about the topic of health and wellbeing and ask them for their views and ideas. Engaging with them would facilitate their buy in. What would make their life more positive, what would tangibly make a difference? If the initial views of the employees align with your initial thoughts on objectives, you are already onto a winner.
Following this, it is time to write the strategy and accompanying initiatives. Previous
strategies I have developed cover several different pillars and provide a holistic approach. For example, you could consider:
· Physical initiatives e.g. sporting endeavours
· Emotional initiatives e.g. employee assistance programmes
· Social initiatives e.g. team building events, engaging staff in CSR
· Financial initiatives e.g. pension options, bonus plans
· Environmental initiatives e.g. offer a biophilic environment in the office
Running a pilot program of the initiatives is often wise, run it for a few months, ask the staff to test it out and get feedback, evaluating it, tweaking if elements are unfeasible or not used. This will enable you to deliver a strategy that is not only beneficial for your staff but your wallet too.
There is tangible value in delivering a happy and supportive workplace. If your staff are fully supported, they will feel they can reach their potential and they will be loyal to your business.
Want help in developing a robust strategy or any other HR policy? Get in touch.
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