Employee wellbeing is the overall mental, physical, emotional and economic health of employees and promoting wellbeing can be achieved through simple steps with minimal costs for employers. Previously employers have tended to focus on the physical health of staff and the physical working environment but the concept of wellbeing has developed and now expands beyond that encompassing all aspects of working life.

There is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to creating a healthy workplace, it should be based on the unique needs and characteristics of the organisation, its resources and its workforce. To get started you may wish to consider:

Commitment and approach:

• Ensure senior level buy-in
• Develop a Health and Wellbeing strategy and/ or policy for your workplace with an action plan and review it regularly, engaging and consulting with your workforce
• Understand your workforce, what ages are they, do they have similar roles or different? Regular surveys can to assess the health and wellbeing needs of your staff and be reviewed and evaluated to inform your action plan

Creating a positive culture:

• Promote a culture of openness
• Support and value your employees
• Promote healthy behaviours at work
• Communicate regularly about wellbeing
• Tackle stigma and talk about mental and physical health openly in the workplace
• Support employees to reduce stress

Providing support and training:

• Signpost to appropriate support
• Provide line-manager training that helps them understand and signpost to sources of support for health and wellbeing
• Build wellbeing into induction and performance management processes
• Listen to your people through regular one-to-ones, staff forums and open door policies
• Help people to recover using back-to-work support and reasonable adjustments
• Consider offering flexibility where practicable to enable staff to attend medical appointments, undertake caring responsibilities and other activities to support their wellbeing

Take a look at these seven elements of workplace wellbeing identified by CIPD as examples of support to contribute to a thriving and healthy working environment. They can be adapted to fit your business needs and the resources you have available. On this website you will find further information, support and resources to help you achieve a healthy workplace.

High-performing businesses benefit from the right employee experience and will attract and keep talent. A culture that promotes health and wellbeing, development, diversity, equity and inclusion will be resilient and successfully navigate transformation and maximise business opportunities.

Research shows a clear correlation between employee health and wellbeing and company performance which, in turn impacts company profits. Policies and initiatives which support employees effectively demonstrate the importance an employer places on health and wellbeing and assists staff to be fulfilled, well-rounded, healthier and happier. They can be easy and quick to implement but reap disproportionate rewards.

The benefits of employers increasing their focus on employee health and wellbeing include:

• A healthier and more inclusive culture
• Better work-life balance
• Better employee morale and engagement

Good workplace health and wellbeing can deliver good ethical and commercial benefits including:

• Improved overall health and wellbeing
• Greater productivity
• Higher performance
• Increased job satisfaction and feeling valued as an employee
• Better staff retention, retaining valuable skills and experience plus reducing staff turnover and associated recruitment costs
• Promotes a diverse and inclusive workforce
• Greater work participation and increased social inclusion
• Increased individual, team and organisational resilience
• Reduces sick leave and long term absences and the associated costs
• Enhances positive early intervention outcomes
• Less workplace injury, complaints, grievances, workers’ compensation and tribunal claims
• Faster and sustained return to work after sickness absence

Return on investment:

• A more efficient business with improved profitability
• A resilient and highly skilled and engaged workforce with up-to-date skills
• Improved staff morale and motivation, therefore reducing staff turnover
• Become an ‘Employer of Choice’ which will improve your business’ image and attract new talent
• Competitive advantage in your marketplace and improved chances of winning new business (Source: Sondergeld, 2021, Deloitte, 2017)

At Wiltshire Council we are here to help you and your employees to develop a healthy workplace. Our team can provide support, answer your queries and signpost you to the latest information and guidance.

If you would like to make your workplace a healthier place to work, find out more or meet with us, please contact:

Call: 0300 0034566

[email protected]