10 employee well-being in the workplace examples

 

Organisations have woken up to the fact that health and well-being in the workplace is as vital as decent broadband and air conditioning. With recruitment costs at an all-time high and a greater understanding of mental health in the workplace, any company that wants to attract and retrain great staff must create a healthy and happy place of work.

Examples of workplace health and wellbeing are anything that contributes to health and physical well-being in the workplace and refers to everything from temperature and ergonomics through to programmes that help alleviate stress and improve physical fitness.

Scientists have proven that the mind and the body are inextricably linked, which is why any health and wellness strategy must embrace the whole person. Stress, for example, can have an impact on immunity while physical illness, in turn, can cause mental anguish.

Examples of employee wellbeing initiatives

 

• Gym membership – when the body is working at its optimum then the mind can follow suit. Recent research has shown that regular exercise is good for mental health and reduces the likelihood of developing serious illnesses such as cancer and Alzheimer’s. Office space that incorporates a fitness centre, such as our Farringdon building is perfect, failing that, you could collaborate with a gym and offer employees reduced rate membership. 
• Exercise and relaxation classes – in addition to offering gym membership, you could organise for outside therapists and instructors to visit your premises to give staff lunchtime lessons in yoga, pilates, relaxation, at-desk massage etc. Before you begin, it would be wise to do a survey to find out what activities employees want from wellbeing initiatives. 

• Screen breaks – encourage staff to take screen breaks using apps such as Flux or encouraging them to visit breakout spaces or outside areas.

• Refreshments – provide refreshment facilities for staff and include caffeine-free options such as herbal teas or chicory coffee. You can also include plant milks as an alternative to dairy and healthy sweeteners.

• Cycle or walk to work schemes – encourage staff to cycle or walk to work. Our serviced offices offer bike racks, which are essential when employees are cycling to the office. You could rent bikes to staff members and offer incentives to those who walk or cycle at least part of the way into the office.

• Break rooms such as the games room we have at London Bridge serviced offices, provides a way for staff to unwind and socialise. 

• Allow dogs – the demand for dogs boomed in the pandemic and many offices, including several of our buildings, are dog friendly places. Dogs are great ice-breakers and being able to bring them in saves owners the stress of trying to find pet sitters.

• Birthdays off – make your staff feel special by giving them a paid day off on their birthday each year. 

• Provide outdoor space – time outdoors is proven to improve mood. Employers should take a 15-minute break every 90 minutes and a well-appointed outside space, such as our Farringdon outdoor courtyard encourages regular downtime, which in turn, increases productivity.

• Health insurance – offering free or subsidised health insurance is one of the most widely used employee well-being examples. Many of the larger insurance providers offer corporate discounts. Health insurance in the workplace, enables your staff to jump NHS waiting lists and helps to reduce long-term absences due to sickness. You can include optical and/or dental coverage on your workplace insurance plans. These will cover your staff for almost every eventuality and means that they have access to earlier diagnosis and faster treatment. Many organisations extend this offer to the families of employees.

 

Workplace wellbeing isn’t a buzzword, it’s something that most people expect from their workplace nowadays. By having good health and well-being provision, your organisation is attractive to skilled workers, less likely to experience staff turnover, and able to reap the benefits of a happy workplace.