10 well-being initiatives that should be implemented at any company today

2018-07-12

Artūrs Bernovskis, “Efectio.com”

Richard Branson has said: “Take care of your employees and they will take care of your business.”

How relevant is this to a 21st century company?

What do the statistics show?

In order for every employee to work like a Swiss watch, it is necessary to think about the well-being of the company’s staff!

According to the data gathered from Britain’s Labour Force Survey by the UK’s Health and Safety Executive (HSE), 40 % of 1.3 million respondents surveyed in 2016/17 admitted that they experience stress, anxiety and even depression, whereas 39 % suffer from muscle and bone pain, while 21 % of the respondents have noticed other health issues.

This is an SOS signal to the managers and HR specialists of companies, since well-being goes hand-in-hand with the mental and physical wellness of employees, as well as the growth indicators of a company. How does one improve the situation? Here are 10 effective solutions!

Internal learning. It is even better to facilitate growth by doing so collectively, through learning from one another. Different departments may periodically give information on industry news by providing useful tips & tricks. This is useful for those who wish to learn something new, as well as for those who have to prepare for giving their colleagues an educational presentation. In this way you will be able to improve the knowledge of employees without additional resources. Implement educational mornings once a week and call them something like “Increase Your Brain Power”!

Healthy snacks. A person needs vitamins and nutrients to be alert and feel well. Vitamin E improves the performance of the brain, whereas vitamins of group B strengthen one’s nerve cells by eliminating depression and chronic stress. The better an employee feels, the more energy he or she may dedicate to work responsibilities. Make sure that the workplace always has fresh fruit, vegetables and nuts for the employees to enjoy on their breaks.

Public recognition. Millennials anticipate individual and public appreciation from the management even more than financial appraisal. Money is a short-term motivator that currently motivates an employee to stay in one workplace for approximately 2 to 3 years. Save on company resources by avoiding the need to look for new employees, and improve this indicator by carefully following the work of your employees and giving them positive feedback!

Sports activities. Studies show that physical activities during breaks improve one’s abilities to focus, enhance the performance of the brain, as well as restore energy and relieve stress. A study carried out by the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries of Western Australia shows that it is possible to decrease psychological distress by 34 % by doing sports 1-3 times a week. 1, 2, 3, go ‒ encourage your employees to regularly stretch and perform light exercises for muscle relaxation, thus improving their productivity and well-being!

Flexible working time. Both the employees and their working time should be flexible ‒ for example, with a possibility to work from home once per week. This provides a mental rest from the office environment and constant communication, and allows one to focus on the duties to be fulfilled. Provide your employees with this possibility if their professional duties allow it!

Financial investment in employee growth. Support the desire of employees to acquire new knowledge, which will be useful in their professional endeavours! Financial support for the attendance of courses, seminars or lectures serves as great motivation to work better to earn the respective bonus. Employees will be able to use the newly acquired knowledge in their work by implementing innovative solutions.

Company library. Form a company library with the latest books on any topic that your employees are interested in ‒ outstanding selling, out-of-the-box marketing, customer management, the digital age, stress management, active lifestyle etc. By having access to the latest information, employees will improve the company’s performance, reduce costs and serve the customers more efficiently. Form an environment rich with resources!

Ergonomic work environment. An ergonomic work environment means a healthy employee. Migraines, back pain, muscle tension ‒ productivity indicators decline. In order for the mechanism of the company to keep working, set up ergonomic work places with suitable artificial lighting and monitors, install standing desks and separate the work area from the rest area, maybe even purchase a treadmill! Countless solutions are available. Moreover, a study carried out by the Texas A&M College of Medicine shows that standing desks increase productivity by 46 %.

Green environment. Green plants clean the air and enrich it with oxygen, thus having a positive effect on the well-being of a person. Air can become very stuffy in rooms with poor ventilation, and a lack of fresh air creates a feeling of tiredness and sleepiness, lowering one’s ability to concentrate and work. Let some greenery into your office!

Modern technologies for one’s well-being. By using modern technologies, e.g. the platform of the local brand www.efectio.com, you can motivate employees to keep track of their well-being and working abilities! By setting a goal and measuring the steps taken to achieve it, an employee will be able to find a successful balance between private life and work, as well as improve his/her performance indicators.

The improvement of one’s state of well-being has to become an integral part of any employee’s everyday life. An employee has to learn how to assess his/her working abilities and how to improve them, since an excellent employee is not one who works the hardest, but one who knows how to do it efficiently ‒ doing as much as possible in a short period of time without losing quality.

It is foreseen that over the next years well-being initiatives will be among the top priorities in the development plans of any company. Start today!

Visit the Smart HR Conference at “RIGA COMM 2018” on 11 October to find out more.

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