Employee Wellbeing in the Workplace: How Organisations Can Drive Engagement and Support
‘The Great Resignation’ is over. Now, the latest labour market outlook from the CIPD shows organisations are being affected by a new trend – ‘The Big Stay’ – with employees opting to stay put at work. On the surface, you might see this as a positive. Successfully retaining talent can only be good for business, right?
In reality, employees may not be staying for the positive reasons you think. Staff are feeling increasingly disengaged in the workplace, fuelled by elevated levels of burnout, stress, and struggles with mental health, not helped by a high level of global volatility and uncertainty.
A collaborative study by AXA and CEBR indicates this amounts to an annual cost of £28 billion to the UK economy, meaning organisations cannot afford to neglect the issue. This puts the focus on wellbeing initiatives and what workplaces can do to build an environment where staff feel secure and supported.
Why are employees feeling disengaged?
Research from Gallup shows that most global employees consider themselves either not engaged (62%) or actively disengaged at work (15%).
But why?
Consider the domestic and global challenges UK employees have had to face over the last five years:
- The COVID pandemic
- Changes in the way we work
- Political uncertainty and division
- A spiralling cost-of-living crisis
- Environmental concerns
- The war in Ukraine
External fears are distracting, and it shouldn’t come as a surprise that employees are struggling because of them. To avoid added stress, disengaged employees are keeping their heads down at work, not necessarily disliking their jobs but not loving them either.
The bad news for organisations is that this stagnation hurts productivity and innovation.
Some employees may also be experiencing more serious mental health issues that need to be addressed rather than ignored.
What is employee wellbeing and why does it matter?
Employee wellbeing refers to the financial, physical and mental health of staff in the workplace.
By supporting wellbeing, organisations can build a work environment that provides stability in employees’ lives. Over time, this will result in increased staff satisfaction and motivation.
It will also showcase your organisation as an attractive employer to new talent, which is essential to thriving in an increasingly competitive labour market.
How can organisations support employee wellbeing?
Employee wellbeing can be approached in different ways, depending on your organisation’s setup and budget.
As a starting point, consider the following quick wins:
1. Find out what your employees really want
Sense-checking what is most important to your employees will help you to decide which initiatives to prioritise first.
Gathering this information can be challenging for large organisations with an employee base spread across multiple locations. Smaller organisations can use their size to their advantage, coordinating focused surveys and group discussions to see what changes will have the biggest impact.
2. Encourage connections between teams
Encouraging open communication can go a long way in supporting teams, especially where hybrid working has reduced office interaction.
Remember to schedule team calls and arrange social gatherings regularly. This is especially important for helping new staff fit in – assigning them a mentor will make them feel immediately welcomed and valued.
Office spaces should also be designed to promote group interaction while respecting what works for different people. Sometimes, employees prefer to use headphones or work in private spaces, and this shouldn’t be discouraged.
Ask your managers to promote both approaches as part of normal office dynamics. Achieving a balance will boost the mental wellbeing of all staff.
3. Empower your managers
Employee wellbeing shouldn’t just mean providing aftercare when something goes wrong. Prevention is equally important, so issues don’t have a chance to grow.
Managers are closest to their team members and in a good position to intervene if they notice an employee struggling. But in order to help, they need the right training. They also need to feel confident their organisation will commit to helping an individual when they make recommendations.
Remember – managers are only human. They are not qualified to handle every problem and may feel the added pressure to support employees through complex issues, which can be detrimental to their own mental health. In these cases, an escalated support system is needed.
4. Employee assistance programme (EAP)
Employees may not always feel confident opening up to managers and colleagues, despite their best intentions. Some issues may also require a trained specialist.
This is where an Employee Assistance Programme can help.
EAPs connect staff with a confidential counsellor who can offer a private and impartial external perspective. Staff can also usually self-refer, empowering them to seek help on their own terms.
EAPs have come a long way over the years, offering support on various issues such as mental health, legal and financial problems, relationships, grief, addiction and childcare.
But work remains to be done, especially to overcome gender disparities. Data from CIPD indicates one in six people have considered leaving work due to a lack of support in relation to their menopause symptoms. A Trade Union Congress report also found that two in five pregnant women had not undergone a health and safety risk assessment.
A hands-on approach – including regular auditing – may be best to ensure your EAPs provide support where your employees need it most.
5. Educate on mental health
Mental health is closely linked to long-term sickness.
According to a 2023 Mind survey, men are twice as likely to have mental health problems due to their jobs compared to problems outside of work. They are also less likely to open up and seek support.
By offering educational sessions on mental health, employees can become better informed on how to take action on their own and colleagues’ mental health.
As part of our commitment to taking action on male mental health, Adecco has partnered with Ryan Parke, a leading men’s coach and TEDx speaker. Ryan has led a series of on-site workshops across Adecco, focusing on preventative strategies and fostering a collective understanding of the science of male mental health.
Find out more about Ryan’s work here
6. Support active lifestyles
According to the NHS, regular exercise can reduce the risk of depression by up to 30%.
Unfortunately, workplaces are not always naturally designed to support active lifestyles. To counter this, staff should be allowed to take regular walking breaks, and stand-up desks should be provided wherever possible. You can also offer subsidised memberships to local gym facilities – an ideal option for organisations that do not have the budget to install their own private gym.
Sponsored runs and races are also a good way for staff to raise money for charitable partnerships while staying fit. They will also encourage your teams to connect together and pursue something worthwhile outside of the workplace.
7. Offer staff perks, recognition and rewards
Perks and benefits are a great way to support staff directly, and regular rewards will show hard work is recognised rather than taken for granted.
Recognition could mean a simple thank you when a team member goes out of their way to help someone. Or you could invest in exciting rewards for high-achieving teams.
For staff who are struggling financially, affordable healthcare, memberships and discounts on everyday items can go a long way. Perks can also create a renewed sense of fun, offering a discount on special treats such as restaurants and family days out.
8. Support long-term employee growth
Work can be repetitive. Sometimes, staff need to vary their habits to get out of a motivation slump.
Encouraging staff to dedicate time to their learning and development in pursuit of milestones and promotion is an easy way to re-engage employees.
Allow your managers to free up employee’s time and make sure you support them with the right training tools.
Finding the right approach for your organisation
Organisations don’t need to offer everything. Instead, find the right mix by getting to know your workforce and what they want most. Understanding your employees’ needs and identifying common challenges will help you define your approach and create an effective framework.
Measuring the success of wellbeing initiatives takes time, so remind financial decision-makers of the long-term benefits. These include:
- Enhancing workplace culture
- Making organisations purpose-orientated
- Building a supportive environment
- Motivating staff and boosting productivity
- Retaining the best talent
- Reducing overall staff turnover
Consider an outside perspective
Sometimes, external guidance can help you find the best way to implement staff wellbeing programmes.
At Adecco, we regularly help organisations achieve their goals. Our solutions include our Managing Burnout Workshop, which aims to provide preventative support and strengthen the skills organisational leaders need to support their employees.
Talk to us today to find the best approach for you.
Dealing with burnout: Tips for restoring wellbeing and managing workplace stress
Burnout is a universal issue with the potential to affect everyone regardless of age or gender. According to the Adecco Global Workforce of the Future survey, almost 4 in 10 workers say they have suffered burnout in the past year.
Employee wellbeing benefits
Interest in trusted techniques that will bring focus, calm. and workplace wellbeing are growing. When the UK went into lockdown in 2020, and in the years that have followed the pandemic, there has been an increased awareness of the role employers can play in supporting the wellbeing of their employees, and that this support is critical in order to retain top talent in an increasingly competitive jobs market.
Empowering neurodiverse talent in the workplace: An interview with differing minds’ CEO Jess Meredith
Neurodiversity should now be at the centre of employers’ efforts to create a supportive and inclusive workplace for workers with neurological differences, such as ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), autism, developmental speech disorders, dyslexia, dyspraxia, Tourette syndrome and, increasingly, mental health conditions.