A recent CIBD report revealed that only 40% of UK businesses¹ have an employee wellbeing strategy in place. In comparison, 76% of employees² have admitted to feeling stress and burnout at work. Creating an official wellbeing policy for your company is an important part of showing your employees that you value them and prioritise their health and wellbeing.

Whether you are working from scratch or reshaping an old strategy, take a look at our informative guide below to help you get started.

What is Employee Wellbeing?

The first step to developing an employee wellbeing strategy is to understand what employee wellbeing is and why it is important. General wellbeing encompasses every part of a person's life, including their job, home life, outside activities, and relationships with others. Employee wellbeing focuses on their work environment, what responsibilities they have, what the company culture and workplace is like, and how that affects their physical and mental health.

So why should employers care about employee wellbeing? The health and happiness of employees has a direct correlation with productiveness at work and a reduction in sick leave. CIBD reports¹ that 56% of long-term unplanned absences are due to mental health issues, so ensuring that your workplace prioritises employee wellbeing is fundamentally important to the continued success of your business.

What Do You Currently Offer?

Examine the current state of your employees' wellbeing and be honest with where you are at as a company. What initiatives have you implemented in the last year to promote physical and mental health? What benefits or incentives do you offer? How good is your staff retention? How many days do emp loyees take off sick?

Askyour employees for their input by launching a wellbeing survey and compare the results with your own. This will provide a clearer picture of what areas you are doing well in and where you need to improve.

Set Workable Targets and Create a Plan of Action

Now that you have identified the problems, set your primary targets. What is your overall vision for health and wellbeing in the company? Where do you want to be in five years? Once larger goals have been laid out, think about what smaller steps you must take to get there. Create an achievable plan of action for the next year, keeping in mind the budget you have available.

Send Out Internal Communications

Keep your staff informed about your wellbeing strategy through team meetings, staff newsletters, or blogs. This will ensure that your employees feel valued and that their feedback is appreciated.

Launch Your Health and Wellbeing Policy

Once you have solidified the details of your plan of action, create company-wide policies for related issues, such as sick days, flexible working, maternity leave, mental health support, etc. These policies should be included in your staff handbook and incorporated into inductions for new employees.

Monitor Your Results and Adjust Your Strategy

At the end of your first year, take another wellbeing survey to assess the effectiveness of your strategy and make adjustments where needed. While it may take time to achieve your desired results, remember that a company which prioritises the health and wellbeing of its employees will be more likely to have employees who care about and contribute to their success.

Author: Shi rley Carruthers - Content Creator at ParkerSteel

References:
1.) cipd.co.uk/health-well-being-work
2.) gallup.com/employee-burnout-biggest-myth