6 reasons why you should prioritise health and wellbeing in the workplace

Donna Foulis Date published: Apr 07, 23

As adults, we spend a third of our lives at work. Whether we’re 9-5 at a desk, working shifts on the frontline or something else entirely, a lot of our time and energy goes into working. Which is why good health and wellbeing in the workplace is so important.

Not to mention happy, healthy employees are naturally going to be more motivated and productive in their jobs, which is much more likely to result in better business performance. More and more organizations are investing in employee health and wellbeing, so let’s look at what exactly it means and how organizations and employees alike benefit from it.

What is health and wellbeing in the workplace?

Health and wellbeing at work is defined by a broad range of factors, including the physical, mental and emotional health of employees. It also includes a sense of satisfaction in their job and career, good relationships with colleagues, financial stability and socialization. It’s essentially all the different aspects of being at work that can have a positive, or negative, impact on a person’s overall wellbeing.

Why employee health and wellbeing should be a priority in the workplace

That age old saying that a company is nothing without its people is often quoted for a reason. Motivated and supported employees make for a more successful organization, with a better likelihood of creating an enjoyable place to work. Here are six reasons to prioritize the wellbeing of your employees:

1. Improve performance

   This goes for both individual and company-wide performance. When all aspects of your wellbeing at work are being met and you’re approaching your work in a well-rested, stress-free manner it’s much easier to give 100% at work and perform at your best. This can only serve to have a positive impact on the company performance in turn. Indeed, What Works Wellbeing report that companies in the FTSE 100 list which demonstrated best practices in this area reported an increase of 10% in shareholder return – 61% instead of the average of 51%.

2. Improve teamwork

   Focusing on the social aspect of workplace wellbeing, building good relationships and providing opportunities for socialization and teambuilding outside of day-to-day work helps to strengthen working relationships and understand each better. It can also provide a welcome relief from any regular pressures of the job and gives an opportunity to ease any built-up stress or tension.

3. Reduce staff turnover

   It goes without saying that employees who are comfortable and happy at work are more likely to stick around. When you factor in the time and resources involved in employees existing, and then recruiting, training and retaining new staff, it’s much more valuable to keep hold of good employees. Ensuring opportunities for job satisfaction and improving employee engagement are key factors here.

4. Cut down on costs

   In 2021, an estimate of 149.3 million working days were lost in the UK from illness and injury. Data from the Mental Health Foundation indicates 1 in 6 people struggle with mental health at work, with mental illness accounting for 12.7% of all sick days taken in the UK. Overall, it’s estimated that the total cost of employee sickness across the UK is £15bn per year. Providing adequate support for the physical and mental health of employees and discouraging instances of ‘presenteeism’ (continuing to work while unwell) can help towards improving these statistics.

5. Attract new talent

   While offering perks like pizza lunches, free coffee and discount schemes are popular ways to showcase a good working environment, the true test of good workplace culture comes from the approval of existing employees. If they enjoy working for you and feel their wellbeing is looked after, then they will only be too happy to share that fact with others. Talented prospects will take on board what current employees have to say about their experience of working for a company, and this could be a major deciding factor between a job with you, or choosing elsewhere.

6. Boost creativity

   It’s difficult to be creative when you’re stressed, tired and otherwise just run down. Fresh ideas flow best when your brain has optimal chances to switch off and rest. It’s in those moments of rest when the ‘lightbulb’ ideas often pop up. In his book ‘Rest: Why You Get More Done When You Work Less’, Alex Soojung-Kim Pang explores the importance of rest and restorative activities and how it benefits brain activity and has a positive impact on our abilities. He explains:

   "When you do things like go for a long walk, your subconscious mind keeps working on problems. The experience of having the mind slightly relaxed allows it to explore different combinations of ideas, to test out different solutions. And then once it has arrived at one that looks promising, that is what pops into your head as an Aha! moment."

   Being able to get the creative juices flowing opens up possibilities for new ideas, fresh perspectives and different solutions to problems.

How to better manage health and wellbeing in the workplace

There are lots of things you can do to put more emphasis on supporting employee wellbeing. While ideas can range from implementing a benefits package and allowing flexible working, to putting on team building activities and providing lunch, having a practical way to manage safety and ensure the necessary steps are being taken is a good place to start.

Ideagen EHS provides a simple, accessible way to manage reporting and compliance, minimizing risk and putting employee health and safety front and centre. 

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