Be Better: Building Employee Wellbeing Strategy 

 

 

Employee wellbeing is more than just a trendy buzzword; it’s a vital component of a productive and engaged workforce. Organisations that prioritise employee health and happiness often see the benefits in terms of retention, engagement, and ultimately performance. To move beyond superficial initiatives like a token fruit bowl in the staff room or a few yoga classes, it’s important to develop a meaningful workplace wellbeing strategy. 

 

Why a Wellbeing Strategy Matters 

A well-thought-out wellbeing strategy does more than just focus on individual health; it enhances overall organisational performance. Evidence consistently shows that employees are more engaged, productive, and less likely to leave when their employers support their mental, physical, and financial wellbeing. This Forbes article sites a number of studies from the likes of Gallup that demonstrate an overwhelming business case for wellbeing. With the challenges of recent years, including Covid and the Cost of Living Crisis, a focus on wellbeing can also be a big pull factor for new talent. 

 

Steps to Creating a Meaningful Wellbeing Strategy 

1. Define Clear Objectives

Start by identifying what you hope to achieve with your wellbeing strategy. Are you aiming to reduce absenteeism, improve employee satisfaction, or decrease turnover rates? By setting clear, measurable goals, you can tailor your strategy to meet your organisation’s specific needs and objectives. 

2. Gather Insights from Employees

Your employees are your most valuable resource when it comes to shaping an effective wellbeing strategy. Use surveys, focus groups, and 1-2-1 meetings to gather input and feedback on what they need and expect. Understanding their challenges and preferences will help you design initiatives that truly resonate and make a positive impact. This can be an iterative process too. As you’re developing your strategy, why not test you key themes and ideas with staff?  

3. Develop a Comprehensive Action Plan

Based on your goals and the feedback you’ve received, create an action plan that addresses all facets of wellbeing. This could include: 

• Promoting Positive Wellbeing: Encourage healthy habits through wellness programmes, flexible work arrangements, and initiatives that support mental, physical, and financial health. For example, providing access to workplace health plans, like those offered by our partner HSF Health Plan, can be beneficial in supporting employee health holistically. 

• Preventing Poor Wellbeing: Identify and mitigate factors that negatively impact employee wellbeing, such as high stress, poor management practices, or lack of work-life balance. Addressing these issues proactively shows a commitment to your employees’ health. In my experience lack of workload planning and poor management are often the biggest barriers to overcome when it comes to wellbeing. Also, it can be surprising how ineffective systems or processes can be big stressors for some employees. 

• Providing Support: Ensure resources are available for employees facing wellbeing challenges. An Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) can offer counselling, financial advice, and other support services. Subtle yet effective benefits like travel loans, health plans and additional leave can be a great addition to your wellbeing toolkit, providing employees with necessary support when they really need it. 

4. Communicate and Engage

Communication is key to the success of your wellbeing strategy. Make sure that all employees understand the initiatives, resources, and benefits available to them. Consider appointing wellbeing champions within your organisation – employees who are passionate about promoting health and wellbeing and can help spread the word and encourage participation. It’s not enough to promote your wellbeing benefits as part of induction. Build regular reminders into your internal comms plan. Work with any external benefits providers / partners to help promote your offer. For example, a really good EAP provider will share (anonymised) stats and help you identify ways to ensure that employees can access the service easily. 

5. Monitor and Adapt

Once your strategy is in place, regular evaluation is crucial. Track your progress against the goals you’ve set, gather ongoing feedback from employees, and be ready to make adjustments as needed. The best wellbeing strategies are flexible and evolve over time, adapting to the changing needs of your workforce. 

 

Key Ingredients for Your Wellbeing Strategy 

There is no one-size-fits-all all to a great wellbeing strategy. It has to be tailored to your context and the needs of the organisation and your people. However, to ensure your plan is comprehensive, you may want to think about including: 

• Flexible Working Options: Allowing employees more choice over when and where they work to better balance their professional and personal lives. 

• Health and Wellness Benefits: Provide benefits that cover physical, mental, and financial health, including access to support services like those from HSF.  

• Manager Training: Equip managers with the skills to identify and address wellbeing concerns, fostering a supportive and responsive workplace culture. 

• Planning and Process Mapping: Review your processes and systems to ensure they are efficient? Do they enable employees to carry out functional tasks quickly and easily? Does your planning process enable effective prioritisation of work so that people have a realistic workload? 

• Inclusive Communication: Create an environment where open dialogue is encouraged, and employees feel comfortable sharing their wellbeing needs and concerns. 

 

Gaining Buy-In for Your Wellbeing Strategy 

For your strategy to be successful, you need buy-in from everyone in the organisation, from senior leaders to entry-level employees. Clearly communicate the benefits of the wellbeing strategy and encourage leaders to role-model and champion healthy behaviours. If you have a trade union or employee voice forum, welcome their input and ask for their support in promoting and implementing the strategy. Encourage feedback and suggestions, and make sure employees know how to access the resources available to them. 

 

Measuring Success 

To understand the effectiveness of your wellbeing strategy, continuously measure progress against your original objectives. Use surveys, performance metrics, and feedback to gauge success and identify areas for improvement. Remember, the most effective strategies are those that evolve based on data and changing needs. 

Not everything is easy to measure in numbers. Also consider factors that are more qualitative. How do people describe the culture? Have you received positive feedback? Do colleagues feel psychologically safe in the workplace? 

 

Conclusion 

Designing a meaningful wellbeing strategy takes time and effort, but the benefits to both employees and the organisation make it a worthwhile investment. By focusing on comprehensive health and wellbeing support, you can create a workplace that not only supports employee health but also drives engagement and productivity. Keep refining your strategy to ensure it remains relevant and valuable, making your workplace a healthier, happier place for everyone.

HSF health plan