Workplace Wellness - Part One

You can be forgiven for thinking that wellness programmes in organisations are a relatively new initiative. This is probably because those of us over forty hardly ever experienced any such programmes. It’s interesting to note that the history of wellness in the workplace was started way back with the?Italian physician Bernardini Ramazzini (1633-1714) who is believed to be one of the first to write about the effects of work exposure on workers (occupational diseases) and was interested in the possibilities of taking preventative measures (Gainer, 2008) to help improve employee well-being. Half a century after Ramazzini’s death, the Industrial Revolution brought with it many new health problems and injuries due to the way work was reformulated and systematized.?(Michael Rucker 2016)

Several initiatives regarding working hours and working conditions would come into being much later but it wasn’t until 1810 when Welsh social reformer Robert Marcus Owen proposed a 10-hour workday to help protect the well-being of workforces. By 1817, he purposed a more aggressive measure — the 8-hour workday — and coined the phrase “eight hours labour, eight hours recreation, eight hours rest” (Donnachie, 2000). One of the first organizations to implement Owen’s ideal on a wide scale in the United States was the Ford Motor Company in 1914 (Chalmers, 2013).

Often the reason for implementing better working conditions and shorter working hours was to increase productivity. It wasn’t that employees cared for their staff, they simply wanted to maximise the return on their biggest investment i.e., their people (staff). More recently companies have been making statements like; “Our People are our greatest asset.” This may be the case in some businesses, but it’s nothing more than a cliché in many others. It’s easy to say these words but a lot more difficult to live them out on a daily basis.

This was demonstrated during Covid. Many companies took the opportunity to restructure and cut costs. Some, legitimately, had no choice while others used the opportunity to get rid of people or cut salaries dramatically. Other companies did all they could to protect their staff. Not only did they do everything possible to pay their staff their salaries they also invested in the well-being of their staff by putting structures in place to protect them.

The Nolands Executive team decided to provide free counselling for all their staff during Covid. They have agreed to continue post-Covid as a permanent staff benefit. Staff members are allowed to contact me in confidence, without the approval of any Manager or Director. Over eighteen months I had the opportunity (privilege) to walk a road with many staff members. Their recovery has been heartening and humbling. It’s no wonder staff feel they are part of a “family”.

I think we all have a lot to learn when it comes to “wellness” and how we live our lives. I have been consulting in this domain for over 35 years and I learn more every day. I would like to share a few truths that I feel are extremely important for all of us.

• The emotional distress or anxiety that staff experience is not always work-related. Often stress at work contributes but there is a deeper problem that needs to be addressed.
• It’s impossible to help someone who doesn’t want help. Many people complain about a problem but are not willing to do anything about it. Where do you start helping someone like this?
• Often the problem is more than a difficult boss or Covid or money. It’s not always easy to find the root of the problem but if we can’t identify the problem, we will never overcome the obstacles
• Do some social media cleansing. Every person I speak to who has emotional stress/anxiety or depression spends way too much time on social media. There is a ton of research forewarning us about the downside of social media.
• At the end of the day, every single individual must take personal responsibility for their lives. This is a difficult truth to accept. The truth however is that my emotional well-being is not someone else’s responsibility. I need to take ownership.?
• Personal development is difficult for many reasons but facing this reality is unbelievably liberating. ?
• It’s not a sign of weakness to get counselling. We all need someone who can point us in the right direction.

As employers, our role is to walk a road with our staff. It would be easy to shift responsibility but maybe with some care and commitment, our staff will find meaning whilst being in our employ. It would be wonderful if we can add real value in their lives.

Part Two to follow!

Paul Jones (Nolands Head: People and Culture)