Wellness at Work Segment: Increasing Productivity in the Workplace
Increasing Productivity in the Workplace
This blog is part of the Corporate Edit - blogs designed to give quick tips and advice to guide corporations in supporting their employees in the best way for everyone. After all, any good company knows that it is built on its people.
When you invest in your workforce, you are investing in the future of your company too.
By nurturing your employees and showing them that you truly care about their wellbeing, you foster a positive relationship between the company and the individual, which in turn promotes trust, loyalty and happiness. And happy employees are motivated employees, with increased productivity – a win for everyone.
“You don’t need a new plan for next year. You need a commitment.” – Seth Godin
When it comes to the workforce, there are numerous challenges faced by corporations in today’s world:
- Productivity losses linked to employee absenteeism due to illness, costing employers billions each year
- Losses due to employees who come to work ill or suffer from poor sleep or nutritional habits or work-induced stress
- Presenteeism, where employees show up for work but are distracted
- Employee burnout
- If you do have wellness tools in place, getting employees to use these resources is just as important as providing them and can be difficult
Post-Covid, many workplaces have changed drastically, meaning that suddenly employees are plunged into the world of flexible working – working from home, flexible hours, hot desking when they are in the office…it’s a lot to take on board. And whilst for many employees this change will be seen as a positive, for some it can feel overwhelming, and they need to be supported during this transition.
We mustn’t overlook the impact of technology either. Whilst it is a huge benefit for most workplaces, it is ever-changing, meaning that employees are constantly required to keep up with the latest changes and adapt to more and more new programs and software. Furthermore, as more and more of us download workplace apps onto our phones, there is an increasing ‘always on’ culture, where calls and emails are answered outside of work hours and the lines are blurred between work and home life. Again, for some this is easily managed, but for others it is a huge contributing factor to stress and burnout.
The benefits of Workplace Wellness
The benefits of implementing a Workplace Wellness Program are countless!
- Helps your employees to unlock specific wellness goals for their lives fosters positive attitudes in the long run
- Investing in employee wellness is a signal to potential new recruits that you care about your teams, making it a recruitment and retention tool to attract and keep high-quality employees
- Increases overall company morale
- Greater levels of energy, leading to higher output and fewer sick days
- Greater productivity leads to a greater sense of pride and accomplishment
- Increased motivation and attitude to work
- Prevents employee burnout
When an employee signs the contract to become part of your organisation, they are making a commitment to you. However, you are also making a commitment to them. In return for their hard work, you have an obligation ensure their wellbeing is of the utmost importance.
In a world where so many of us work from home, loneliness and detachment can also be an issue for many. We can feel disconnected from our colleagues and find it difficult to foster those much-needed working relationships. A good workplace wellness program will include methods to overcome this, offering colleagues the opportunity to connect and interact with their peers.
In a nutshell, having programs in place to support your employees can only be a good thing! We all want to feel nurtured and cared for and in an increasingly technology-driven and remote working world, this could not be more important. Having a well thought out and structured set of guidelines in place at your workplace, helps ensure nothing is missed in the quest for workforce wellness and optimal productivity.
Suggested Task
Dedicate one meeting a month to do a group walk – ideally in nature if possible, such as in a local park. Being out and about in nature is proven to boost mental wellbeing and productivity and makes a refreshing change from sitting behind a desk.
I hope this article has been of some help to you and your team. Did you know that Otentikcare promotes holistic wellness in the workplace? You can work with Patience to develop a bespoke wellness programs plan for your company. If you want to support your employees’ wellness, email lateam@otentikcare.co.uk to start the conversation..
Author: Jacqui Smith
Jacqui has a background in Media Publishing and very much enjoys the beauty of the written word. A farmer’s daughter turned city-dweller, she recently left London for the small town charm of Hertfordshire and can often be found engrossed in her laptop in a local coffee shop! When not working she loves to travel, both within the UK and further afield.
