What is Workplace Well-Being
The amount of change we face in uncertain times, can create stress, anxiety, and a sense of uncertainty. This can lead to increased voluntary turnover, absenteeism, and disengagement in the workplace. Well-being is top-of-mind for leaders and employees, as workplace stress adversely affects productivity and costs US employers nearly $300 billion every year. Anyone can be impacted by stress and anxiety, so it is important for organizations to be aware of their employees’ well-being and understand the contributing factors to create a healthier workplace.
The idea of well-being is a central concept in positive psychology, the study of the positive
aspects of the human experience. At People Element, we focus on the importance of workplace well-being as it relates to the aspects of one’s working life – from feeling safe at work, to having a sense of belonging, and feeling their organization cares about them.
The average person spends more time working than any other activity in their life, with an average of 90,000 hours at work in a lifetime. While organizations have a responsibility to provide a safe work environment, it is equally important to foster a healthy, happy workplace
and promote well-being.
A healthy workplace is one in which leaders and employees can collaborate to create a safe and happy environment by addressing the following aspects:
- Sense of belonging
- Stress factors
- Personal health resources
- Feeling of being valued
- Social support
- Health and safety practices
Why You Should Measure Workplace Well-Being
Workplace well-being is a key factor in determining an organization's long-term effectiveness. There are various studies showing a direct link between productivity and engagement with the general well-being of the workforce. Ask your employees to share their feelings and experiences to help you assess and understand the factors that may be supporting or hindering their well being at work. You can do this with a quick survey to get a comprehensive overview of well-being in your organization along with a health score to guide in development of a healthier workplace.
A culture that promotes a healthy and happy environment reinforces that employees are important and valued, and in turn helps an organization’s efforts to attract and retain people.
Management practices that strengthen a sense of well-being can often be overlooked but can be easily implemented with the help of employee feedback and will result in a payoff to both employees and the business.