How to look after the health and wellbeing of your staff
In the past, a workplace culture that supported and encouraged employee wellbeing may have been considered a nice to have, but today, it’s a must-have . On average Brits spend 3,507 days at work across their lifetime, so fostering employee wellbeing is crucial in preventing stress and creating a positive working environment where individuals and businesses can thrive.
Capital Space has recently joined the Kent and Medway Healthy Workplace Programme which will directly support our staff at Churchill Square Business Centre and St George’s Business Park. However, we will use what we learn from the programme to improve our health and wellbeing package across all our sites.
Here are some of the ways you can look after your staff’s health and wellbeing:
Mental health support and training
A staggering 1 in 4 people experience mental health problems each year in England. Stress, depression and anxiety are the most common types of mental health issues and it’s important you are able to support staff who are suffering from them.
An over-arching mental health plan is a good place to start for your business. Ensure that it is communicated clearly throughout the company and that all your staff know where to seek help. Keep the communication positive to allow employees to feel that they can share when they are struggling. Gaining feedback through workplace employee surveys can also be extremely useful.
Offer wellbeing staff benefits
As much as staying active and healthy is important, the cost implications for some employees are often too great. Businesses can ease the worry for staff by offering a benefits package. Common perks are access to online GPs, cycle to work schemes, subsidised gym memberships and health insurance. Ensure the benefits you choose have the most value to your employees and their needs.
Make sure sick days are just that
Remote working has blurred the lines between when employees are sick and when they aren’t- absences actually hit record lows in 2020. When working from home, it can be tempting to ‘just do a little bit’ but not resting and recovering from an illness can have a knock-on effect for the individual and the business. Take care of your staff by setting out firm boundaries for sickness.
Ease up on micromanagement
Micromanaging your employees can often induce anxiety and depression at work, which in turn can decrease outputs and performance. A healthy alternative is to allow staff to use their initiative to hit targets and produce the desired outcome in a way that is agreeable for you both. Employees will have a greater responsibility of the task as they have some ownership over it.
We look forward to learning from the Kent and Medway Healthy Workplace Programme and to continue improving our own wellbeing package for staff in our business centres. For more information on staff wellbeing, head to ACAS .
To find out how Capital Space could benefit your growing business, call 0800 107 4667 or email info@capitalspace.co.uk
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