Employee Well-being: Major 5 Drivers of Employee Well-being
Employee Well-being
When we talk about employee well-being, think of
it as the way employees' responsibilities, expectations, stress levels, and
work environment affect their overall health and happiness.
Employee well-being is defined as the overall
mental, physical, emotional and financial health of your employees. This is
influenced by various factors, such as their relationships with co-workers, the
decisions they make, and the tools and resources they have access to. Working
hours, pay and workplace safety also have a significant impact on employee
well-being.
While this will vary from person to person,
employee well-being should, on average, be at a level that allows for a
productive and healthy workplace. External factors also contribute to employee
well-being. Stress around issues such as housing, health and family all play a
role in performance at work. However, employers can recognize that they have no
control over what happens after hours, while still taking responsibility for
what they can do for their employees.
Employee well-being affects all aspects of working
life, including the environment in which employees work, the workplace climate
and how employees feel about their day-to-day work. Well-being is a key factor
in determining the long-term success and effectiveness of an organization.
Key domains of Employee
Well-being
Social Contentedness
In most cases, the key to a happy team is whether
they actually get along. To promote good working relationships, you should
introduce more team building activities, informal meetings or lunches/dinners
to bring your team together.
Not only will this promote a more fun and social
atmosphere, but it will also mean that everyone can have their ideas and
opinions heard. After all, there may be some team members who wouldn't normally
get a chance to properly communicate beyond a brief conversation in an elevator.
Giving employees a voice in your workplace will
be key to boosting overall morale.
Social isolation can trigger depression and
anxiety. While supportive relationships with friends, family and colleagues are
beneficial to individuals' mental health. People with a good network of friends
and family generally have better mental and physical health than those who lack
these networks.
By leveraging Hubs within your company's intranet
software, you can create a social community for your employees; this is a space
where people can share their experiences with other like-minded members,
thereby increasing a sense of belonging.
Social tools used in the right way can unlock
connections that were previously impossible, and with each new connection comes
a new opportunity for social interaction.
Job satisfaction
Keeping employees happy at work can be tricky.
So, introducing workplace perks and benefits is a perfect way to ensure that
workplace morale is always kept high. This could be anything from team events
to paying for your employees' gym memberships or exercise classes.
Additionally, having this time off really
increases productivity among teams, allows employees to do the best work they
can do, and ultimately creates additional success for your company.
Financial Security
Employers should work with
their employees to determine where they need financial support and which solutions
would benefit them most. This process will help employers understand their
employees better and show workers that the company not only cares for their
well-being but also is invested in working together to build the most effective
path to financial wellness. Supporting employees with budgeting and saving
tools can also help ease their stress and free their minds to focus more on
work-related tasks. Prioritizing financial wellness can help workers feel more
connected to the company and encourage employee loyalty.
Emotional Health
Most of us have no problem prioritizing the next
work task for our manager or someone else even after a long day at work, but
the idea ofprioritizing ourselves and our health is not something many of us
are used to. The truth is, unless we make a conscious choice to take care of
our health and well-being, it won't happen.
As a business, you can start by creating
self-help areas in your digital workplace that provide suggestions for simple
ways your employees can begin to make positive changes. These areas can provide
many support links to third-party websites and contact numbers for your
employees to contact.
Physical Health
By making sure your employees are aware of the
dangers of sitting for long periods of time and educating them on how they can
move throughout the day, you help prevent illness and maintain a happy and
healthy workforce.