Expectations for workplace benefits packages are rising. Fresh fruit plates, gym packages, leisure discounts just do not cut it anymore. Employers have adapted by offering new perks like pet-friendly workspaces, mental health days and even customisation. And these are the ones winning the war for talent.
Employees are increasingly seeking out places where they not only get a decent pay, but feel valued and are able to grow. And having a focus on workplace wellness will help show that you care - not just about your bottom line but also about your people and their growth.
Why do people want you to care, or provide workplace wellness?
An average person will spend up to 80,000 hours at work. That is almost a third of your life. Naturally, you would want to derive a reasonable amount of happiness, satisfaction or productivity from work. And those who do not, leave once they get an opportunity to.
By offering a wellness program, you are showing commitment to values you espouse (e.g loyalty, respect) and laying the foundation for a work culture that cares. A good wellness program pays off. And here are some statistics to convince you why having a wellness program is essential for healthy amounts of employee morale, commitment, productivity and positive employer branding:
- 91% of workers at companies that support well-being efforts say they feel motivated to do their best. (American Psychological Association)
- 89% of workers at companies that support well-being efforts are more likely to recommend their company as a good place to work. (American Psychological Association)
- Of employers offering wellness programs, 67% reported increased employee satisfaction, 66% reported increased productivity, 63% reported increased financial sustainability and growth, and 50% reported decreased absenteeism. (IFEBP)
- Organizations with highly effective health and productivity programs report 11% higher revenue per employee, 1.8 fewer days absent per employee per year, and 28% greater shareholder returns. (Buffett National Wellness Survey)
- 74% of employers view well-being as an important to employees and a useful tool for recruiting and retaining staff. (Xerox)
When employees enjoy a happy, healthy work environment, they enjoy coming to work more and are better equipped to deal with the stresses and demands of their jobs. They would be more willing to go above and beyond their job scopes to add value to the organisation. Future employees or potential clients also have a better impression of your company as service levels improve and employees are happier. Rather than being bogeed down by stress, more innovation and creativity can be generated in your business. (Need help with innovation? Check out our Innovation public course with an award-winning methodology)
It’s what distinguishes an organisation that’s simply functioning and an organisation that’s capable of making huge leaps. It really boils down to the people who are working within it.
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To take a first step towards better workplace health, prevent your teams from burning out.
It is sad to note that 61% of employees are burned out on the job. (CareerBuilder) and burnt out employees are low-productivity employees. The article provides a few potentially powerful interventions for burnout:
This article is filled with examples of why wellness and engagemnt go hand in hand. It also breaks down how a focus on workplace wellness helps boosts employee engagement (5 points) and offers 3 suggestions on how employers can utilize their workplace wellness programs as a part of their employee engagement strategy:
As business leaders, we all say we are committed to building a healthier workforce. But when push comes to shove, we’re satisfied with offering workplace wellness programs that deliver average results. Can we do better?
One trend in workplace wellness this year - wellness architecture.
Offices are now being designed to help keep employees healthy and happy. The following article mentions a slew of new ways of working that are designed with the employee front of mind:
BONUS: The Secret to Building a Healthy & Happy Workplace | Wolter Smit | TEDxBrighton
Wolter passionately discusses the importance of how you hire great staff. But then also asks; what do you do once you have found them? How do you really bring to life company principles like freedom, trust and responsibility? How do you make sure your company is empowering your employees and providing a work environment where they feel cared about? These are the questions and challenges Wolter has come up against time and time again.
In this video, Wolter will walk you through his journey and share his secrets to building a happy and healthy workplace.
About Timeo-Performance
We were founded with a vision to improve the world of work for everyone
We are in the Skills Business!
Through recruitment, training and consulting, Timeo-Performance provides solutions for increased performance of companies, teams, and individuals. As our clients are in the center of global business and often serve the APAC region, our solutions need to be sustainable in a multicultural and remote context.
Our joint venture with Akteos, the European leader in intercultural training, and partnership with digital learning solutions provider CrossKnowledge have therefore been organic and logical additions to our service. Timeo-Performance has been helping companies in APAC increase business performance since 2008 with offices in Singapore, Malaysia, and Hong Kong.
We love what we do, feel the Timeo-Performance experience!
As busy professionals, our schedules are often filled to the brim with meetings and tasks to complete. We can get so caught up with work that we might even forget our all-important lunch and power through dinner as well. Alas, we can only do so much given the 24 hours we have in a day. While time management is vital, being productive is another matter in its entirety.Enter time batching.
