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Where to start with your employee wellbeing strategy

Use the following quick links to find out where to begin with your employee wellbeing strategy:

Employee wellbeing refers to the mental and physical health of employees, whatever the cause may be. Whilst, as their employer, you have a duty of care over your staff, there could be more benefits to your business than you think. Research suggests that looking after staff can improve productivity, with healthier, happier staff typically having more energy and ability to focus on the task at hand.

Employee wellbeing strategy

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With this in mind, we can’t ignore the big financial decisions employers have had to make over the last year, including salary cuts, furlough and redundancies as a result of COVID-19. All of which could be contributing factors to increased mental health problems, in fact, it’s been reported that 60% of UK adults said their mental health got worse during lockdown. Despite this worrying figure, 43% of businesses don’t list mental health as a priority. As businesses embark on their journey to recovery, this can’t stand. That’s why we’ve highlighted some key areas to help you get started with an employee wellbeing strategy.

Getting the decision-makers on board

It’s been reported that 31% of HR leaders lack buy-in from senior management when implementing a wellbeing strategy, hence why it’s important to get them on board as the first port of call. One of the biggest misconceptions around employee wellbeing is that it’s costly to implement and adds little value to the business itself. In actual fact, there are great employee wellbeing benefits to employers, a key one being the direct correlation between happy, healthy staff and increased productivity. Pull together a business case clearly stating the costs and benefits and include a roadmap that explains how you plan to implement. Giving senior management visibility of the full process should ease any concern around the time it takes to get set up. 

Measure success

Already got an employee wellbeing strategy in place? When was the last time you checked how often your staff actually make use of the benefits? It’s been reported that 42% of employers don’t measure the success of their wellbeing strategies and therefore could be missing out on the benefits to their business. To really see the impact of employee wellbeing on your business, you need to be sure your wellbeing benefits are doing what they’re supposed to and actually supporting your staff. Especially since the pandemic, what makes a good place to work has changed.

Ping pong tables and quirky office decor looks to be out; respect, reward and remote working looks to be in. 

Individuality

Often, the vital piece of an employee wellbeing strategy that is overlooked is individuality. When implementing a wellbeing strategy, the needs of your employees must be considered and whilst finding the perfect balance to suit all of your workforce may seem challenging, you can incorporate wellbeing solutions that offer a personal touch to really support each and every person. Taking a digital approach to employee wellbeing can broaden your options and make benefits accessible to employees as and when they need them.

Consider a digital approach

If the last year has taught us anything, it’s to embrace the digital era. Over the last 18 months, the rise of healthcare tech has been expedited due to the coronavirus pandemic. GP appointments were undertaken online, chatbots were used as diagnostic tools and employers had to find ways to support employee health remotely. A digital solution provides a one-stop-shop that gives your employees access to amazing perks and benefits based on their individual needs at a click of a button. For example, Breeze, Health Shield’s employee wellbeing digital solution provides direct access to doctors, physios, counsellors and health assessments; hundreds of deals and discounts on big brands; plus access to all of this and more 24/7 via their easy-to-use app. Not to mention the use of tailored content such as top tips and advice, giving you the perfect platform to increase employee engagement and encourage a healthy lifestyle whilst offering support. 

 

To find out more about how employee health and wellbeing can support SMEs, download our report Wellbeing: the way forward for SMEs.

Wellbeing: The Way Forward For SMEs

 

 

 

 

 

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