Rosie Beardsworth: The benefits of a workplace wellbeing programme

Adopting a wellbeing programme in the workplace is a great way to prevent employee stress, whilst creating a more positive culture that promotes and cares for an individual’s health.

In recent years, there has been a significant increase in focus on workplace wellbeing, with more HR leaders starting to invest in programmes that can create a more resilient and engaged workforce.

A recent report by Deloitte shows that happy workers are 20% more productive and 34% less likely to leave their jobs. This helps to drive organistional growth by boosting revenue and spending less on sick pay or recruitment costs from turnover.

The numbers don’t lie, happier organisations have 37% higher sales (HBR 2011). However, as discussed in our recent article ‘boosting employee retention with a workplace wellbeing initiative’ – solely focusing on revenue won’t create a wellbeing culture.

Implementing a workplace wellbeing programme has many benefits including:

• Driving organisational growth
• Increasing employee health and happiness
• Boosting employee engagement
• Creating a social and inclusive workplace

Driving organisational growth

Wellbeing programmes can lead to a positive ROI for employers by reducing global healthcare costs and the cost spent on sick days, whilst enhancing the overall organsational performance through a more engaged workforce.

Organisations have the ability to create a healthier workforce by encouraging regular health check-ups, physical activity and de-stress techniques that can help to mitigate the risk of workplace sickness or incidents.

Not only can wellbeing programmes help drive revenue, but they also help with attracting and retaining top talent to an organisation, by demonstrating that the company cares about its employees’ overall happiness and health.

Increasing employee health and happiness

Many wellbeing schemes encourage employees to build healthier daily habits, which don’t focus on the workplace but take a holistic approach to health by including personal wellbeing habits.

Mental and physical health are intricately linked, so building out a wellbeing programme that includes initiatives that involve both physical activities and mental health workshops means that employees will feel valued at work.

So, what are the benefits of a workplace wellbeing programme for the employee?

1. Increased energy and motivation
2. Improved sleep
3. Job satisfaction

Fitness activities are a great way to increase an employee’s energy and motivation, as physical activity triggers the release of endorphins, which are also known as the body’s natural mood lifters. Endorphins are known for alleviating stress and regulating cortisol (stress hormone) levels. A less stressful workforce will enevitably increase workplace motivation and productivity.

Technology platforms, such as Terryberry’s virtual challenges can help employees create those healthy habits through simple, yet effective walking activity.

Mental health workshops can provide tips and tricks on how to address sleep health, encouraging the improvement of healthier sleeping habits to improve sleep quality and overall productivity at work.

Wellbeing Initiatives naturally make employees feel happier, valued and appreciated.

Boosting employee engagement

Through a tailored wellbeing platform, employees can feel more engaged to their company by improving focus and boosting energy levels that lead to a happy and healthy workforce.

Supported employees are more likely to be engaged on the job and actively contributing to the success of the business. Likewise, employees who get involved in workplace initiatives benefit from social interaction, encouraging them to engage with colleagues and other areas of the organisation.

Creating a social and inclusive workplace

Creating a programme that encourages in-person or virtual interaction with peers helps to create a more social and inclusive workplace by strengthening communication and collaboration between colleagues who may not otherwise interact on a day-to-day basis.

Wellbeing programmes create a sense of community at an organisation, allowing employees to feel more connected to the organisation and boosting engagement and productivity as well. Social interaction is extremely important, especially for remote workers, so creating a community in a post-covid world is more crucial than ever to combat work-place loneliness and make sure everyone feels included at work.

Workplace wellbeing programmes can significantly contribute to the overall health, happiness, and satisfaction of individual employees, leading to a more positive and engaged workforce. By investing in the wellbeing of its workforce, an organisation can create a positive and sustainable workplace, resulting in numerous benefits that contribute to long-term business success.

Ready to Step into Summer? Find out more about Terryberry’s summer wellbeing challenge today.