Starting a Workplace Wellbeing Initiative? Start in the Work Environment First.
In the last three months, we’ve covered a lot of ground in our Aerobodies blog. Employers are focusing on many different factors in workplace wellness to help employees focus on their health and boost productivity.
Did you know focusing on wellness boots employee engagement?
Workplace environment and culture have just as much impact on employee wellness as offering various health and wellness benefits. In our January blog, we discussed how top employers focus on these factors to boost employee focus and engagement:
- Autonomy for employees
- Making work hours manageable
- Facilitating positive relationships
- Supporting work/life balance
When employees feel like they have a true say over managing tasks in their daily work, the better their overall wellness. Obviously, much research has been done regarding health being impacted when work hours are too long or when the work/life balance does not include enough time/energy for life outside of work. Employers must continually realize and effect change when necessary, not only for the benefit of their employees’ well-being but also because when employees are at their peak health, they can perform their work duties with significantly more productivity.
Scaffold workplace initiatives to focus on one thing at a time.
When asked what was their biggest challenge in terms of wellness in the workplace, survey respondents voted: lack of personnel to implement programs and unsure of strategy or experience to create. In our February blog, we reflected on one pillar of a high-functioning wellness program being that it must align with the culture and values of the workplace. When discussing diversity in different wellness programs, some programs focus on various topics such as climate change, access to nature, technology, and air quality, just to name a few. When working to improve your wellness initiative, it’s best to narrow down and focus on just one thing at a time to truly implement positive change instead of trying to do everything at once.
Want to help employees be more productive? Make improvements to their work environments.
Our March blog focused on various environmental choices in the workplace that can make or break your productivity; some of the most effective choices are adding plants, more natural lighting, and discerning optimal noise level. Whether working from home or in an office, your work environment can significantly affect your productivity, whether positively or negatively—the more plants and natural light in a work environment, the happier the employee. Happy employees tend to work more productively in an efficient manner. Some employees work best in a bustle of noise, while others need silence to concentrate. Helping your employees discern what noise level best suits them can be a great first step in helping your employees’ work environment be the best for them.