How important is workplace wellbeing?

Workplace dynamics have changed, over a period of time. Gone are the days where the employee-employer relationship starts and ends with a paycheck, nowadays many companies/organizations are towards improving the wellbeing of their workers, to bring out best performance of the employees. No matter the size of the business, more emphasis is being placed on the emotional and physical wellbeing of employees, with the ideology that happy workers’ will give higher profits.

There are many factors that influence an individual’s wellbeing, latest research studies reveal that that managers or employers can directly influence their employee’s wellbeing. Generally, people spend a major portion of their lives at workplace, so it’s not surprising that job satisfaction can affect our mental and physical wellbeing. Workplace wellbeing is just not about absence of an illness in the people working at a place. Employee wellbeing is about improving the health of all employees. It is not only about physical wellbeing, but other components of wellbeing that cannot be ignored when talking about healthy and well-functioning individuals or employees. According to a latest survey. Integration of well-being into work design helps establish a bond of trust between an employer and employee and allows the employees to have a good state of mind along with improved performance. Workplace well-being programs are beneficial for both employers and employees. Here are some of the benefits of workplace wellbeing.

• Better mental health 

Poor mental at work has profound impacts on the performance of the employees. Over the last few years, there has been an increase in the prevalence of mental health problems among young people. More significant support is now provided at workplace. This has led to a change in the attitude of employers. They have started talking about mental health at work without any hesitation that has provided them with greater support.

• Improved organizational productivity

Poor mental and physical health halts productivity. Unhealthy employees are only a burden for the organization. Many research findings indicate that the initiation of wellness programs in the working environment has improved productivity levels among employees and has helped save money for their employers. When a person is unhealthy, he is always tired and lacks the motivation to work. Taking part in workplace wellness activities that focus on adopting healthy activities increases productivity and individual performance. The employee feels better focused and more motivated to complete the assigned tasks.

• Decreased absenteeism

An excellent physical and mental health attributed to workplace wellness program leads to a significant reduction in absenteeism. It has been observed that employees in companies with workplace wellness programs are less absent from work. In other words, they are less likely to miss work without a valid reason.

• Reduced health cost

Workplace wellness program results in lowering health care costs. Research studies analyzing workplace wellness programs and health care costs suggested that the average return on investment was 3.27. This means that for every dollar spent on the program, the company saved $3.27 because of reduced healthcare costs. Probably the most famous example is that of Johnson & Johnson’s employee wellness program, which saved a total of over $38 million in its first four years, averaging $224 per patient per year.

Every company/organization is different, but they need to start thinking about improving the health and wellbeing of the people who work for them. The key to success is finding what works best for your organization, and coming up with a strategy that considers workplace wellbeing important.

 

by: Abeer Arshad 

Share it.