Employee Wellbeing in the 'New Normal'

Employee Health & Wellbeing in the 'New Normal'

"Ensuring?employee well-being?will be paramount and could become an organization's unique selling proposition"

In this New Normal, Employee Health and well-being should be a core element of any organization's strategy and central to how an organization operates.?

This is especially critical given the impact of the pandemic on employees' health and well-being.

The latest official data shows that 32.5 million working days were lost to work-related ill health in 2019/20, with stress, anxiety, and depression accounting for almost 18 million of these.?

Mentor Health research shows that

COVID-19 has forced Employee well-being more urgently into focus for many organizations.

More organizations report that senior leaders take it seriously, and that line managers understand its importance. However, many people continue to work when unwell, even if they are working from home, while many employees even use holiday or sick leave to work.

#Employers have a fundamental duty of care for the health, safety, and welfare of their workers. However,

Mentor Health research shows that despite more organizations stepping up their efforts, half still don’t have a formal #wellbeing strategy.

A focus on #employeehealth and wellbeing should be a core element of any HR strategy and central to the way an organization operates. It should not simply consist of #Insurance Coverage but be based on employee #need.

As well as benefiting employees, an integrated approach to well-being can increase employee engagement, fostering a joint commitment to organizational success.

In line with wider evidence, our research shows that the main risks to employee health are now #psychological, with mental ill health and stress being two of the top three causes of long-term absences.

Organizations should take a holistic approach and provide good work for people that helps to prevent ill health.

We define ‘good work’ as work that is fairly rewarded, providing people with the means to securely make a living; it gives opportunities to develop skills and a career and ideally provides a sense of fulfillment.

Organizations also need to focus on the wider dimensions of well-being, including health well-being, which is still a neglected area.

Recommendations for Employers

1. Ensure that senior leaders are aware of the importance of workplace health and well-being and that they embed actions to ensure that it’s taken seriously across the organization.
2. Train line managers and supervisors to manage people well. Line managers are key to employee well-being and should ensure people’s workloads and deadlines are manageable. They should provide clear objectives and give constructive feedback, as part of a trust-based relationship with people. They should have the confidence to have sensitive conversations with people and offer support and flexibility if a team member needs adjustments to help manage their health and work.
3. Provide early & easy access to health support and other specialist sources of help, such as online doctors, counseling & home care.
4. Develop an evidence-based understanding of the causes of absence and unhealthy practices in your organization, such as ‘presenteeism’ and ‘absenteeism’. Unless the underlying issues prompting people’s attendance and behaviors are addressed, efforts to improve health and well-being will be short-lived.
5. Tailor policies and practices to organizational and employee health needs. There is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to designing an effective employee Health & well-being strategy – its content should be based on the organization’s unique health needs and characteristics, and of course those of its employees.
6. Build a robust organizational framework to promote good mental well-being and foster a culture where people can talk about mental health and seek help where needed.
7. Carry out a Health risk assessment or audit on Employee Health status & work-related stress across the workforce, as part of a preventive approach to identify its main causes

The goal is to create a supportive, inclusive workplace so that employees are able to remain productive and even excel in their outcomes.

Conclusion Note for Employer's

Taking care of your Employee's Health & well-being isn’t an easy thing to do, but it is well worth it in the long run.