5 Signs of an ‘Unwell’ Culture that Fly Under the Radar

"When it comes to wellbeing there are no shortcuts, there is only the way."

Company culture is a funny thing.

You know when you’re in the midst of a good one, yet it can be difficult to tell if you’re in a bad one, because it’s so difficult to objectively measure.

We can all agree that a culture that promotes wellbeing is something we should all be striving for, but what exactly does that mean and how can you tell if you’ve achieved it?

First off, a culture of wellbeing doesn’t necessarily mean having all the bells and whistles when it comes to health programs - like skin checks, massages, exercise classes and all the other healthy perks you can think of - it starts within the team before any of those things are even thought of.?

It’s how managers treat their teams, especially when things go wrong.

It’s the time off that people feel they can take, or not take, to recover from a cold.

It’s how often you feel you can get outside for a walk or take some extra time during the day to get to a spin class.?

It’s the thousands of tiny interactions and thoughts and behaviours that are encouraged, tolerated, frowned upon or prohibited.

A culture of wellbeing is as intangible and nuanced as it is valuable and there are no shortcuts to get there.

If you’re wondering if you have such a culture, or if yours could use some work, here are a few red flags you’ll see sticking up from time to time in an ‘unwell’ culture.?

Poor lunch habits.

Lunch is a time to rest, refuel and recharge, not a time to wolf down your sandwich and ‘power through’.

If your staff are regularly eating at their desks or skipping lunch entirely, it can be a sign that the work is more important to them than their health.?

Scheduling meetings in break times.?

Colleagues not respecting identified boundaries is a clear sign that they don’t view them as important. If your staff are regularly scheduling meetings after hours or within time that’s been blocked off, there’s some work that needs to be done on reiterating the importance of respecting others’ time to rest.?

Staff don’t take regular time off.?

Nobody can operate at their peak forever, and trying to maintain a high level of performance without adequate rest and recovery is, firstly, impossible and secondly, dangerous.?

If you find that your staff are not taking regular time off to recharge, chances are they feel unable to do so without negative consequences.?

No time for wellness initiatives.?

You can offer all the wellness initiatives you like but if staff don’t feel like they have the time to take advantage of them, you’re putting a bandaid on a bullet wound.?

If Gina from accounts has an achy lower back and wants to attend the injury prevention seminar at lunch, but she knows if she does she’ll cop a dirty look from Andrew because they’re too ‘under the pump right now’, that’s a sign that your team prioritises getting the work done over their own or each others' wellbeing.?

None of your staff have come to you with a mental health issue.?

A significant portion of your staff are likely suffering currently from a mental health condition right now, and every single one of them knows what it’s like to have days they don’t feel at their best.

Mental health issues are extremely prominent and impactful, so if you’re not hearing about them, it doesn’t mean they’re not there, it means your staff don’t feel comfortable discussing them in the work environment.?

This is not an exhaustive list, and this also isn’t a guide on how to fix these issues (keep an eye out for that in the coming weeks), it’s a barometer you can use to gauge whether the culture your company fosters is one that promotes wellbeing or one that could use a little work.

So, keep an eye out for these classic red flags and ask yourself, is this the kind of place where people feel well?

If so, great.

If not, then something has to change, or something will eventually give.?

Anonymous survey question: Which of the red flags have you noticed amongst your staff??

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