Wellbeing

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Wellbeing was already creeping up the strategic priorities list with increased time off for stress, depression and anxiety impacting performance. Campaigns such as #MentalHealthAtWork and #ItsOKtonotbeOK have highlighted wellbeing in the workplace, but Covid 19 put the health of our people firmly at the top of the agenda.

For as long as I can remember, companies I worked with offered gym memberships, fruit bowls, massages and ensuring holidays were taken, but not every company invested in their people in this way. Often seen as a “perk”, wellbeing will be a necessity in the future workplace.

While it may seem like common sense that better health and wellbeing makes people happier and more focused, now we have data to back it up, which is always a winner when building a business case. Presenteeism, when employees are physically present in the workplace but don’t do work due to fatigue or distraction, is one of the most common performance blocks. In the future, leaders will look at strategies to increase performance, from diet, fitness, environment, stress, and mental wellbeing. It won’t be enough to simply put posters up around the office. In the future, investing in wellbeing initiatives and seeing them through will become paramount.

If your people are returning to physical workplaces whilst we still tackle a pandemic, leaders will need to consider redesigning spaces ensure everyone is safe. As a minimum, this will mean social distancing measures such as desk spacing, walking routes, better air filtration, and the choice of materials and surfaces to enable easy cleaning. Of course, where social distancing is not possible, employers will either limit the numbers of people (and customers) on site or provide PPE equipment.

Those measures will look after the physical wellbeing of people, but what about the emotional and mental wellbeing? For those returning from a long period of furlough, it’s like returning after maternity leave or a long-term illness. Anxiety levels will be heightened, and a fear of the unknown can cause great insecurity. Leaders will consider the mental and emotional needs of their people in their decision making, talking to their employees, and really listening to their concerns.

Listen to Leanne Spencer and Lucy Barkas discuss wellbeing on the LeaderX Podcast here

The case for wellbeing

Companies that put a culture of wellbeing are normally values and purpose organisations. However, even for the profit and performance minded leader, the benefits speak for themselves:

• Increased performance and productivity
• Reduced absenteeism, presenteeism and sickness absence
• Attract and retain top talent
• Be seen as a great place to work

Healthy and happy people perform better. You know this about yourself. When you are healthy mentally and physically, you can do more, think more and engage more. Stress has so many knock-on effects on health and performance, so creating a culture of wellbeing reduces sickness on the one hand, yet also means that people don’t come in when they are sick for fear of being punished. So many people, when stressed or under the weather, drag themselves in because of a never ending to do list, that it actually compounds the problem and makes other people sick.

The office spaces

Beyond the pandemic, wellbeing will include remote and home workers just as much. Ensuring that workers have the right equipment, ergonomic seating and adequate lighting and desk space will become the norm. Budget will need to be allocated, with protocols and guidance on what to buy and potentially where from. It’s also proved that having plants in your environment increases wellbeing. The Amazon site in Seattle has a rainforest inside a sphere. Sure, you could argue it’s a branding gimmick, but studies show that plants really do reduce stress, increase productivity, reduce sickness

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Mental Health

We all have mental health, but when someone suffers from poor mental health, it can lead to long-term absence in the workplace, with 1 in 4 people in the UK likely to experience a mental health issue each year. Most people have no idea how to help, support or manage someone with mental health problems, let alone identify their own mental health. In the future workplace, companies will train others to become mental health first aiders, remove the stigma and remove the misunderstanding of mental health. Many organisations offer helplines and counselling services for their employees as a basic offer and will introduce wellbeing days, massage and fitness and dietary services.