The concept of employee wellbeing has grown over the past few years and there is a growing emphasis on employers to promote good mental wellbeing practices rather than using traditional absence management strategies that often result from work-related issues. Now in its fifth year, World WellBeing Week returns on 26 June 2023 to provide the opportunity for participants worldwide to celebrate the many aspects of wellbeing.

This briefing investigates the significant role and importance of wellbeing in the workplace.

We spend a large proportion of our lives and our time at work. The workplace (whether that is an actual place of work, our home or a range of different places) can have a major impact on our mental health. It can both promote wellbeing and trigger a number of issues.

Occupational health is fundamentally about the protection and promotion of the health and wellbeing of people at work.

International Workplace’s Wellbeing in the Workplace guide for line managers advises that all employers have a duty of care towards their employees and this means adopting a socially responsible approach to looking after staff. Workplaces have an important role in promoting mental wellbeing. Work can also provide a sense of fulfilment and opportunities for social interaction. Being as focused on its employees as much as its business objectives is what every organisation should strive to achieve. There are real benefits to this approach, including a commitment by the workforce to ensuring that the work gets done. Addressing employee wellbeing should not be seen as a regulatory burden – it offers significant opportunities. Governments have long recognised that business has a leading role in preventing work-related ill health, supporting workers who become ill, and promoting good health. A good business should therefore recognise that a healthy workplace is a happy and productive one. All employees should play their part by recognising the importance of their own individual health and maintaining open communication with their managers about how their health needs can be managed.

Research shows that being in work is generally good for people’s health and wellbeing, and being out of work is detrimental to it. A study in 2006 concluded:

“There is a strong evidence base showing that work is generally good for physical and mental health and wellbeing. Worklessness is associated with poorer physical and mental health and wellbeing. Work can be therapeutic and can reverse the adverse health effects of unemployment. That is true for healthy people of working age, for many disabled people, for most people with common health problems and for social security beneficiaries.

“The provisos are that account must be taken of the nature and quality of work and its social context; jobs should be safe and accommodating. Overall, the beneficial effects of work outweigh the risks of work and are greater than the harmful effects of long-term unemployment or prolonged sickness absence. Work is generally good for health and wellbeing.”

Gallup and Workhuman have investigated in depth the concept of wellbeing, and published its findings in the report Amplifying Wellbeing at Work and Beyond. “Employees who feel their best, do their best,” it says, “which is why great workplaces prioritise employee wellbeing and reap the benefits. These organisations harness the full power of their employees, and those employees are more productive and perform better, take fewer sick days and have fewer safety incidents because of that. They are also more engaged and less likely to be burned out or to leave their jobs.”

On the other hand, the report says, neglecting wellbeing is one of the biggest mistakes organisations make — and a costly one at that. Most employers don’t do it maliciously or even apathetically. But ignorance is also not a good excuse. The truth is, employers can make a difference in every one of the essential elements of wellbeing. Yet many simply go through the mechanics of providing jobs and paychecks without ever realising that work can be so much more. At its best, work creates the conditions for people to thrive. It supplies people with opportunities to learn and grow, to build their strengths and unlock their full potential. It offers an environment where employees are supported and support one another. It creates a sense of purpose and adds meaning to life. And when work is at its best, so are employees — and so are company bottom lines.

Conversely, says Workhuman, high wellbeing prepares employees to excel in everything they do. Employees with high wellbeing perform better and lead happier, more fulfilled lives at the office and otherwise. And when recognition is part of leaders’ wellbeing efforts, the outcomes and ROI are extraordinary. The report claims:

“Organisations can boost wellbeing by simply recognising their employees for who they are and what they do. The truth is, workplaces shape wellbeing every day — for better or worse — by the way they treat their employees. Leaders who strategically incorporate recognition into their culture can drastically improve employees’ perceptions that they’re valued, cared for and respected as people.

“Wellbeing is not just about being healthy or happy. It encompasses everything people do and everything that is most important in their lives: their careers, communities and social connections; their physical and mental health; their standard of living and financial stability. Wellbeing is a barometer for a life well-lived. And ignoring it is a costly mistake. In short, wellbeing is the foundation for leading fulfilling lives at work and outside of it.”

Holding team leaders responsible for wellbeing at work
Workhuman finds that employees who report receiving recognition from managers and leaders at least a few times a month are up to twice as likely to be thriving. For better or worse, managers and leaders can profoundly influence employee wellbeing — and should take that responsibility seriously. It says:

“Through their words and actions, managers and leaders shape the local culture and work environment, which impacts employees’ overall lives and wellbeing every day. It matters what leaders say and do: how they show thanks and credit employees’ contributions, whether they remember and acknowledge events in employees’ lives, the outlets they create to publicly celebrate their team members and much more. Recognition is a simple and effective way for managers and leaders to demonstrate that they genuinely care about employees and see their hard work. In turn, this improves how employees feel about their jobs, their workplaces and their lives overall.”

Saying thank you
According to Workhuman, it turns out that saying “thank you” is not just about manners or professional conduct; gratitude makes a real difference in how employees experience their work and lives. Employees who say they experienced a lot of gratitude the previous day are up to four times as likely to strongly agree that their organisation cares about their wellbeing and up to two times as likely to be thriving in their overall life evaluation.

Burnout
There are a lot of factors that put employees at risk for burnout; often the pace of modern industry means there is just too much to do in too little time. But when employees feel like their hard work is seen, appreciated and valued, they are more resilient and less susceptible to burnout at work. They feel motivated to give a little extra — and ideally going the extra mile is rewarding, not a burden.

Workhuman concludes:

“In the face of life’s many challenges, wellbeing is a universal need that requires constant maintenance and attention. Employees are — and always have been — deeply concerned about their wellbeing at work. It continues to be one of the most important factors in shaping decisions about where to take a job and when to leave one.”

International Workplace's IOSH Managing Occupational Health and Wellbeing course covers:

• Ergonomics, demographics and types of working.
• Giving employees the knowledge and skills to identify wellbeing issues, and to act on them.
• Work-related health issues – such as how to deal with employees living with cancer, long-term diseases, mobility issues and poor mental health.
• Understanding that an employer’s duty of care extends beyond health and safety, to employee wellbeing.

To find out more about the course, click here.