Instead of hurrying to return to the status quo, let's take this opportunity to be thoughtful

Positive well-being means encompassing a balance of psychological, social and physical needs. Maintaining positive well-being in the workplace is integral to professional enrichment and employees’ ability to manage stress. Employers have always been aware of how crucial this is, however since lockdown, employees' wellbeing has been more vital than ever, and it is more critical than ever before to make sure this is a key focus throughout all areas of the business.

Investing in employee wellbeing can lead to increased resilience, better employee engagement, reduced sickness absence and higher performance and productivity. 2020 brought further hurdles which are still visible this year. Remote work struggles, the uncertainty of our future and careers, and more limits on socialising and interpersonal connections are posing extra challenges to employees. At home, they must face these alone. That’s exactly where an effective employee wellbeing program comes in.

Your responsibility to ensure your staff have positive well-being means that they can reach their full potential. Distinguish yourself by adopting a comprehensive strategy that addresses several facets of wellbeing, adopting these 6 core well-being values is a great start!

1. Training & Development - Provide the team with the resources, support and knowledge to develop their skills and progress within their careers. Ensure that employees can specify areas they wish to learn about and have goals to strive towards.

2. Working Environment - Maintain a comfortable workplace for all staff, both physically and mentally. Create an environment where colleagues can freely share their ideas, thoughts, and concerns. Provide staff with all necessary equipment to feel safe and comfortably carry out their work.

3. Psychological - Promote good psychological health and ensure staff have the resources available to manage this. Provide the tools to support staff if they have poor psychological health. Celebrate and recognise team achievements and milestones to ensure employees feel rewarded.

4. Community - Instil a sense of belonging across the entire team with regular social activities which include socials to ensure everyone feels socially connected.

5. Physical Health - Ensure that colleagues have the resources and support they need to maintain positive physical health.

6. Leadership - Line managers are often one of the most significant influences on an employee’s wellbeing.

According to a study conducted by Alexander Forbes, one in five people in the workplace experience a mental health condition, and while many employers are developing policies to support a healthy workforce, there is often no shared vision for mental health in the workplace. The more holistically employers can understand their teams' needs, the better they will be able to structure benefits and policies that make sense for their staff – and this process starts with understanding employees as individuals. Factors to consider are their responsibilities outside work and their attitudes and behaviours towards money. Understanding the history, values, psychology and responsibility of our individual employees is the right starting point for a meaningful discussion about a viable employee benefits framework.

The tremendous socioeconomic changes now taking place have altered workplace cultures and employees' perspectives on mental health. Organisations have begun to invest more, but employees have legitimately raised the bar on what they expect from employers. In order to improve workplace mental health, culture must alter to include greater openness, compassion, and long-term approaches to problem-solving. Covid-19 has helped us get started on the journey to changing our culture. Instead of hurrying to return to the status quo of 2019, let's take this opportunity to be thoughtful as we create new ways of working.