October 10th was World Mental Health Day, and a great opportunity for organisations to take a good look at themselves and ask, “what are we doing to promote employee well-being in our workplace?”

The Reality of Our Lives

Between rapid technological advancement and the standard of perfection set by social media, it’s easy to place pressure on ourselves to be “more” or achieve “more”. This kind of unrelenting, unrealistic standard set by social media has been linked to an increase in mental health issues across the board. In addition to that, there’s the added pressure of juggling multiple work & personal commitments, making it difficult to step back, take a breath, and recalibrate.

For this reason and many more, it is vital that employers recognise the importance of employee well-being; from encouraging good practices, to recognising when someone is struggling.

What Can Employers Do?

I’m sure many of us can relate to that fear of drowning in deadlines or being pulled in too many directions but not all of us are fortunate enough to have employers that recognise the signs when we’re reaching our peak and are supportive in helping us get back on track. I can honestly say that I am one of the lucky ones! But what can employers do to make their workplace happy and healthy and why should they want to invest the time and money?

Some organisations are forward-thinking enough to have a dedicated employee well-being program. We have seen examples of our clients offering paid mental-health leave days, or complimentary physical and mental health checks from professionals. Others have free weekly yoga classes, meditation spaces, or mindfulness and resilience training sessions. Not all companies are able to provide something so structured, but even little things like employee recognition programs for good performance, team-building activities to promote inclusion, and dedicated well-being Champions can make a huge difference.

The recently published Leesman Report, “The Workplace Experience Revolution” examines a multitude of factors that affect an employee’s overall experience at work, ranging from the physical environment to everyday things some of us take for granted. For example, 79.4% of employees globally deem tea, coffee, and other refreshment facilities to be an important workplace feature. It is undoubtedly clear that by improving this experience, employees will feel happier and more valued and thus having a hugely positive effect on employee well-being.

Happy Employees = Productive Employees

And it’s not just employees that benefit. There is vast evidence to support the notion that happy employees are productive employees. Commitment to employee well-being can also lead to reduced absence and turnover, incurring huge cost savings for organisations. This further improves productivity & success for a company as it allows them to retain their top talent, promoting both their internal and external brand.

So what are you doing to improve well-being at work? We’d love to hear your suggestions, challenges, and successes!