How promoting wellbeing can improve productivity

All employers have a legal duty to protect their employees’ health, safety and welfare. Workplaces must be safe, correct equipment provided, and procedures followed. This duty of care also means tackling issues such as stress and burnout. 

While it may seem like a chore for employers, prioritising wellbeing isn’t only good for staff – it’s good for business too. 

Protect your company

According to the Office for National Statistics, 149.3m working days were lost to employee sickness in 2021 – the highest rate since 2010. These absences – the majority due to poor mental health – are estimated to have cost employers around £43b.

Yet there is plenty that businesses can do to protect themselves from such losses. Companies supporting workplace health report a greater percentage of employees turning up for work daily. Healthier staff also find it easier to make decisions effectively, solve problems and deal with day-to-day admin.

A proven return on investment

The perceived cost of providing health and wellbeing support can be a turn-off for some business owners. But Debra Clark, head of specialist consulting at Towergate Health and Protection, says: 

“Cost can, of course, present a barrier, but in practice, employers are looking for a return on investment. If employees are more engaged and productive due to health and wellbeing support, employers can see the value of their investment. The benefits of less absence, quicker returns to work and increased productivity have a direct and positive impact on bottom line profit too.”

Even small changes help

Besides, promoting good health in the workplace needn’t be costly. Even small changes can help to create a more positive culture.  

Replacing standard workstations with standing desks can lower a user’s risk of weight gain and heart disease. These desks also help tackle back pain – one of the most frequent workplace complaints. Participants in one study reported a 32 per cent improvement in lower back pain after just a few weeks of using a standing desk.

Make a plan

Employers should also introduce two-minute exercise breaks throughout the working day. Researchers at the University of Essex found that giving staff an activity plan of short bursts of exercise helped to get them moving and reduced the exhaustion of back-to-back meetings. One of the barriers to regular daytime activity is that employees often lose track of time and don’t realise they have been sitting for too long. But a proper plan can be a reminder and a means of bringing people together. 

The World Health Organisation recently recommended that firms provide yoga classes and give all managers mental health training to improve employee stress management. Companies could choose to introduce ‘mental health ambassadors’ who work alongside HR teams to create a supportive culture. Other recommendations include providing opportunities at work for “leisure-based physical activity” such as resistance training, strength training and walking.

Reduce stress, increase focus

Other companies have turned to group meditation to strengthen mental health. A study from the University of California found that regular meditation had an immediate and lasting impact on stress and reduced levels of the stress hormone cortisol in people’s brains and bodies. Mindfulness is also known to improve focus and concentration. Bringing people together to practice mindfulness can build better bonds between colleagues and increase productivity.

‘With changing working patterns and the rise in flexible, remote and hybrid employees, managers need to safeguard the mental health of home-based staff and those in the office. While a small level of stress can actually be good for business, efforts to reduce signs of burnout are crucial.’

Attract and retain your best candidates

Improving wellbeing in the workplace is not only about supporting existing staff, either. Research shows that employers looking to attract the best candidates now need to demonstrate an enticing package of benefits, including wellbeing.

Amid low levels of unemployment, every industry from tech to retail must compete to attract the best staff. Think about tailoring your employee perks to suit the demographics and workforce by considering their ages and stages in life. Forward-thinking businesses will look to the future by offering perks that appeal to younger generations. Planning perks to attract and retain your best candidates means offering benefits that employees actually want, including: 

• flexible work schedules
• attractive health club memberships
• free access to wellness coaching or support groups, and
• paid time off for birthdays and mental health days

These latter points are essential to younger workers, for whom a company’s culture is of equal, if not greater, importance than its reputation in the industry. One Ergotron survey even found that 73 per cent of UK workers would choose their next employer on the basis of a healthy working environment.

Happy staff, higher profits

Is wellbeing worth all the effort? If you value happy, motivated staff it would appear to be a no-brainer. After all, engaged employees are productive employees – and that means an increase in company profits. A Gallup study noted: "Organisations that are the best at engaging their employees achieve earnings-per-share growth that is more than four times that of their competitors." Good news for everyone.