6 Ways to Improve Employee Wellbeing in 2021

Employee well-being doesn't just affect your employees but your entire organization. Your company's success depends on your ability to take care of your employees, so if they feel neglected in any way, your day-to-day operations are less likely to be smooth.

Employee well-being refers to "the state of employees' mental and physical health, resulting from dynamics within – and sometimes outside – the workplace." Factors that may affect employee well-being include their work tasks, environment, and other related career aspects that affect their overall health and contentment. In this post, we'll be discussing various ways you can boost employee well-being in 2021.

The Importance of Employee Wellbeing in the Workplace

Employee well-being can reflect your capability as a business, and taking care of your employees can contribute to your success significantly. You need to understand your employees and see things from their perspective. It's easy to assume that the management you're running is adequate, but until you experience things from your employee's point of view, this isn't an accurate standard.

As a business owner, you need to ensure that the work delegated to your employees aligns with a balanced life while still allowing them to thrive in their careers. According to this report, employee well-being has five domains: health, work, values and principles, collective voice and social relationships, and personal growth. These five factors all contribute to the goal to boost employee morale in the context of employee well-being.

With the global pandemic of 2020, your employees may find it challenging to shift from the traditional office environment to a remote post-pandemic work environment. Since a remote work setting isn't suitable for all employees, you need to promote employee well-being to help them cope during these unprecedented times.

This is where the significance of checking on both their progress and well-being becomes more crucial as a business owner. According to statistics, 76% of employees believe that their employers should put more work into protecting their mental health, citing 2020 as the most stressful year in their career. By paying more attention to the factors that contribute to employee well-being, you'd be helping them improve their performance and productivity in their job role without negatively affecting their health and mental state.

6 Ways to Improve Employee Wellbeing in the Workplace

1. Encourage regular breaks

Rest is productive as it has several benefits to an individual's performance and well-being. You might be surprised, but some employees hesitate to take regular lunch breaks because they think their productivity might suffer, or their bosses might see them as less hardworking than those who can go on without lunch breaks.

Encouraging breaks for your employees whenever they need it is the best thing you can do as you're allowing them to recharge their energy and fuel their minds. Office tasks can feel highly exhausting, especially in a remote environment where employees work on their own. Because they're isolated from their co-workers, they may not feel as productive as they do in an office setting where team cooperation is present.

But this distance doesn't imply that you can't properly care for your employees' well-being. Remind your employees to take necessary breaks when needed to benefit both their health and performance.

2. Reward and recognize

Feedback is a significant factor of employee satisfaction to let them know that they're doing something right and recognized for their efforts. When your employees feel seen and recognized for their hard work, they can thrive more and reach their career goals.

A big part of employee well-being is helping them derive fulfillment and satisfaction at work. Recognizing and rewarding employees when they perform and deliver tasks beyond your expectations will push them to their best potential, leading your business to success as well.

3. Provide a safe, comfortable work environment

This study directly links the correlation between employee satisfaction and the work environment. It's not quite right to assume that the work environment only refers to physical attributes like a friendly office, well-stocked pantry, and rest and recreation areas. Instead, employers should also consider the psychological and social aspects of the job. An employee-friendly work environment should help alleviate stress and promote well-being within the organization to encourage the staff to perform better in their tasks.

4. Plan get-togethers

With the adjustments in a remote work setup, video conferencing and virtual get-togethers have become the primary way of interacting with employees. Socializing is incredibly important in any organization, and video get-togethers are how you can maintain a solid professional relationship between you and your employees. This approach also helps your employees not to feel as isolated in a remote environment.

You can also schedule get-togethers designed to improve your employees' wellness program. Perhaps you can invite health and wellness or self-care experts to share ideas and resources on attaining employee well-being.

5. Communicate regularly

Communication is vital in any business organization, and by maintaining that aspect with your employees, you stay updated on their performance and well-being simultaneously. An open line of communication can bridge the gap between team members and managers and ensures employees they can ask for help if they're facing difficulties in their job responsibilities. This kind or level of support can be a significant step toward improving employee well-being in the workplace.

6. Aim for flexibility

As a business owner, you must have the flexibility to tweak your processes and policies to suit the modern work landscape. Whether it's transitioning your whole team to remote work or allowing them to work flexible hours, you'll see that these perks can lead to higher efficiency and productivity and improved employee well-being. Providing your employees what they need can help them perform better.

Concluding Highlights

· The global pandemic has caused significant shifts in the business world, but it's still possible to encourage your employees to thrive while helping them achieve their career goals.

● Employee well-being should be your utmost priority as a business owner.

● Incorporating healthy measures such as giving regular breaks and providing a comfortable environment can help your employees more than you think.

● Employee well-being leads to increased productivity and better performance among the workforce.

● Seeing things from your employees' point of view will make it easier to boost employee well-being in the workplace.