Why it is important to focus on employee wellbeing right now!

As an employer, it is one of your responsibilities to care for the wellbeing of your employees. And by wellbeing, we mean their physical, mental, social and financial wellness. After all, they are your business's greatest asset, and it may not always be obvious, but taking care of your employees is tantamount to taking care of your business. Here are some key reasons highlighting the importance of employee wellbeing:

It can increase their productivity

When employees are happy and satisfied, they operate at their best. They are better at their work and are far more efficient. On the other hand, when they are sick, they tend to do things slower and may even lose focus. As highlighted by the Office of National Statistics, sick staff cost British firms £77 billion annually in lost productivity. As an employer, you can keep this from happening by being extra understanding when employees take sick leave, as this will let them know that their health is also your priority.

It can create a culture of success

When employees are healthy in every aspect of wellbeing, they help create a company culture built on trust and care, which can be easily optimised for success. Such a culture can make employees feel more at ease with sharing their insights, and this can snowball to the formulation of better plans and strategies. As explained in our post 'How to Boost Employee Engagement in 2020 (and beyond)', a workplace culture that encourages, supports and nurtures your people is key to great employee engagement.

It can increase employee morale

Employees who feel valued by their employers are more likely to stay at their jobs and put in more effort. Biz Fluent notes that when the company is going through a crisis, employees with higher morale tend to work harder to help the company survive and achieve its goals. One way to boost the morale of your employees is by praising them for a job well done in public and calling them out for their mistakes in private.

So the importance of employee wellbeing is clear, but how do you show your employees you care? Well there is a multitude of ways, but a good starting point are to look at the following two actions:

Let employees control their time

Showing your employees that you trust them is a good way to show how much you value them. An article by Verizon Connect on how to work smart points out how people can only normally concentrate on a task for 90 minutes before tapping out or losing focus, which is why giving employees free-reign over how they spend their time may be a better option. A lot of companies have already started offering flexible hours because of the benefits the setup provides. Research on flexible work schedules has shown that when employees are given greater control over their time, tardiness and employee turnover are reduced.

Make wellness programs readily available to all staff

The workplace is a stressful environment for many people and it often overwhelms the body and mind. Business News Daily notes that you can effectively prevent the effects of an overwhelming workload by offering wellness programs. You can even provide a nap room, where your employees can take a quick rest, as studies have shown that napping for as little as 20 minutes has positive effects on attention, vigilance, mood and alertness.

As mentioned, your business's greatest asset is your employees, and by investing some time (and maybe even money) into making sure they are well, you are indirectly investing in your company as well.

We utilise Weekly10's private question feature to route wellbeing questions straight to our mental health first aid team. This means we can nudge our staff into opening up if something isn't right, taking the emphasis solely off of them to act.

Hannah Saunders - Toddle