Employee wellbeing has a huge impact on business productivity and profitability. As an owner or manager, you don’t just have a moral responsibility to prioritise workplace happiness, it is actually financially and professionally beneficial to do so. Studies have shown that happier workers are more engaged, creative, and loyal. By ensuring a pleasant work environment, you can boost profits and foster innovation across the board.
By how can you create a happier and healthier team? Here are five tips to get you started.
Listen to Employee Concerns
Listening is a powerful tool when it comes to leadership. All employees want to be valued and respected, and you can achieve this by hearing their concerns and acting on them. As a manager, you may not always get full visibility of everything that goes on with your staff, and may be oblivious to problems they are facing. Show that you are a good listener and are willing to help. This builds trust and reassures your team that their wellbeing is your priority. Seek feedback through one-to-one meetings, brainstorming sessions or even anonymous surveys. You may not be able to act on every single suggestion, but at least you can work towards making your office a better place to work.
Prioritise Mental Health
Good mental health is essential to organisation success. Issues like stress and anxiety lead to burnout, completely eroding productivity and team morale if left unaddressed. Managers can support mental health by normalising conversations about it, as well as providing mental health resources to all staff. Make sure workloads are realistic and manageable and avoid placing your staff tinder undue strain. You should also recognise the signs of burnout to ensure no problems go under the radar.
Encourage Physical Health at Work
For those who work in office-based roles, spending long hours sitting at a screen is unavoidable. But a few small changes can make a huge difference to physical wellbeing. Encourage proper posture by investing in ergonomic chairs and adjustable desks to prevent long term strain and discomfort. Promote regular screen breaks by encouraging employees to stand, stretch, and walk about every hour or so. This will reduce eye strain as well as issues caused by poor posture. Supporting physical health will help your employees in the long term as well as boosting their energy levels and focus.
Protect Work-Life Balance
Although it’s good for your staff to be dedicated and ambitious, they need their time off. They have families, friends, and hobbies to focus on and there must be some boundaries. Make an effort to model a healthy work-life balance by respecting annual leave, switching off after hours, and setting realistic deadlines and workloads. Offer flexible working arrangements so employees can manage their personal commitments alongside their professional responsibilities.
Foster Social Connection
Social bonding is important for any workplace culture. You want people to get to know each other personally and enjoy spending time together, as this will boost engagement and collaboration. Make time for social interaction beyond the meeting room, such as team lunches or informal gatherings. Structured activities are very good for team building, such as bowling, escape rooms, or murder mystery team building events. When employees feel genuinely connected to their colleagues, they are more likely to support one another.
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