Work is a fundamental piece of life. The amount of time spent working, ‌the level of job security, and even the salary earned are crucial factors that affect our health and well-being. The environment, social climate, and growth opportunities are also large determinants of stress levels and the workplace experience. The impact of the workplace on our physical, mental, and social health is undeniable.

When individuals benefit from favorable working conditions, the organization benefits. Supporting human sustainability is a business strategy that encourages productivity, innovation, growth, and retention rates. In this context, the significance of work goes beyond just providing an income, but becomes a crucial component in sustaining one’s health and well-being. This article further details how the workplace directly shapes employee well-being.

The Importance of Employee Well-Being in the Workplace

In this post:

1. The Workplace as a Determinant of Employee Well-Being

2. Challenges to Overcome in Workplace Well-Being

3. Strategies for Improving Employee Well-Being in the Workplace

a. Conducive Environment

b. Social Support

c. Design of Work

d. Professional Development

e. Wellness Opportunities

4. Strive Workplace Wellness Initiatives

The Workplace as a Determinant of Employee Well-Being

While individuals are in control of many things related to their well-being, the overall design of the workplace is not one of them. Employees adopt ‌existing systems, policies, and norms that affect their workload and the environment in which they work. Manageable expectations, ergonomic workspaces, and flexibility to take breaks and time off are all ways the design of a workplace positively impacts employee well-being. Strive’s staff is equipped with electric adjustable standing desks, multiple monitors, and ergonomic chairs. Clients that partner with us can receive discounts on wellness-driven office furniture.

Employees don’t just want positive interactions with colleagues — they also aspire to form genuine connections. Studies show that employees who engage with others at work, are more engaged in their own work. Organizations can encourage a culture of collaboration with opportunities for employees to connect outside a typical workday, such as healthy cooking demos, stress management classes, volunteer days, or walking clubs. Promoting healthy social connections is vital in supporting employees’ ability to thrive at work.

The workplace is not just a physical location where work is carried out‌ — it’s ‌also a place where people strive to advance in their careers, receive raises, and gain recognition for their hard work. Organizations can nurture employees’ motivation and ambition by having clear career paths, mentorship programs, and policies to protect them from burnout on their road to success.

Find out How-To Choose the Right Corporate Wellness Partners.

Challenges to Overcome in Workplace Well-Being

Depending on a company’s current climate and leadership style, organizations can feel resistant to changing traditional ways of thinking and doing. Because leadership support is imperative to the success of well-being initiatives, it’s essential to have a clear goal executives can fully get behind. They must arrive at the understanding that work is a determinant of their employees’ well-being. A culture of health begins from the top-down.

Learn more about How Corporate Wellness Programs Foster Cultural Change in the Workplace.

When leadership is committed to supporting employee well-being, other challenges like lacking resources or funding become less significant. Once organizations realize the impact of wellness on their business, they can view it as the investment that it is and find solutions to push the initiatives forward.

Another common challenge is difficulty measuring or quantifying the impact of wellness. In the wellness industry, a Value on Investment (VOI) analysis better reflects the success of wellness initiatives as opposed to a Return on Investment (ROI) analysis. While you can track money saved such as reduced health claims, there’s more value to be had by focusing on:

• The physical and mental health & health behaviors of the workforce
• Participation data
• Employee satisfaction
• Attendance and productivity
• Retention rates (low turnover)
• Positive work environment with happy people

Strategies for Improving Employee Well-Being in the Workplace

Before implementing any strategies to improve employee well-being, organizations must define success. What are we looking to accomplish and what does success look like? Some examples might be: improved culture, employee satisfaction, cost containment, or stress management. This goal drives the strategy.

Conducive Environment

Employees spend hour upon hour in their workspace. The more comfortable they are, the better they’ll focus. Ergonomic furniture like standing desks, proper lighting, and an ideal temperature is a great place to start. At Strive, we also use essential oil diffusers and dimmable lighting throughout our space to foster a sense of calm.

Find out which type of environment employees perform ‌best in. Is it an open-plan space, or more private offices? Are they energized by the hustle and bustle, or do they need peace and quiet? Where possible, it’s great to provide a wellness space or room for employees to meditate, stretch, or simply spend some time in solitude. An outdoor space to walk in the sunshine during lunch also serves as an outlet for mounting stress or fatigue. The less distracted employees are with their environment, the more energy they have to put towards creativity and innovation.

Social Support

Experiencing a sense of belonging at work helps employees feel balanced. As social creatures, most of us crave interactions, and it’s no different in the workplace. Employees that don’t engage with others risk spending a large portion of their lives isolated and lonely. Organizations can encourage colleagues to make connections by rewarding cross-team collaboration, having designated spaces to eat lunch (not at their desk), and providing opportunities outside work for employees to share interests.

Additionally, recognition programs allow employees to frequently express their support for one another, and manager check-ins provide time for them to feel heard and understood. These meaningful interactions culminate in a workplace with positive energy and productive people.

Learn more about The Power of Social Connections at Work.

Design of Work

In addition to foundational necessities such as fair compensation and benefits, there are many aspects to how a company operates that impact employees’ ability to cultivate their well-being. Attitudes and expectations surrounding taking breaks, working overtime, or using PTO influence the company culture. To foster a culture that values well-being, convey the benefits of taking micro-breaks throughout the day to stretch or walk, and ensure workloads are manageable.

Provide flexibility for employees to make decisions that prioritize their health and well-being, and strive for a workplace that embraces trust and transparency.

Professional Development

Inspire employees and improve job satisfaction by offering professional development opportunities. Encouraging mentorship, compensating education, or including employees in meetings or seminars are all ways to help them upskill. Employees that lack advancement opportunities become resigned and check out.

Developing employees increases their value as an asset to your team, boosts their confidence and ability to contribute ideas, and equips them with new skills and direction. It’s also an effective way to foster innovation, creativity, and productivity in the workplace.

Wellness Opportunities

With the realization that the workplace directly shapes employee well-being, many organizations choose to implement wellness programs. Wellness programs are a great way to provide wellness opportunities employees can incorporate into their workday. Comprehensive wellness programs address all aspects of well-being through educational health talks and interactive, instructor-led classes such as mindfulness meditation or Functional Fitness. There are a lot of foundational components that are cost neutral and impactful. Strive can help guide you on how to incorporate best practices for positively shifting the culture and environment of your workplace.

Helpful Resource: Download our cost-neutral wellness strategies to start building a culture of health today.

There are also offerings like healthy cooking demos, onsite chair massages, or health fairs that are a fun way to get employees together and build the culture. Many health plans provide funds to support employee wellness programs.

Have you noticed rising ER or worker’s comp claims due to MSK issues? Find out how to stop it.

Strive Workplace Wellness Initiatives

Strive implements workplace wellness programs internal stakeholders can be confident about. Our turnkey approach ensures there’s no heavy lifting on your busy internal teams and our programming is designed for ongoing and sustainable employee engagement.

Corporate wellness programs are a great way to introduce employees to wellness and to provide wellness opportunities they can utilize to begin healthy habit-building. Our complimentary employee needs and interests survey provides insights into which health talks, instructor-led classes, and special events to offer and when your population would engage. Book a discovery call to explore how to begin nurturing a culture of wellness in your organization.