We hear the term ‘well-being’ more often than ever and have observed this vastly develop since navigating our way through the Coronavirus pandemic. Our blog, from January 2022, highlighted why well-being time should be taken and how we ensure this remains a priority within our business, however, offering extra time-off is only a small part of what businesses can do to further support their employees in the workplace.
Well-being doesn’t just concentrate on mental health, it’s a core focus surrounding physical, emotional, social, financial, and environmental incentives, pulling together to allow businesses to embrace a culture-driven programme for their workforce. Implementing programmes that include bonuses’, healthcare and cycling schemes, volunteer days and team events can hugely impact employees’ well-being and subsequent performance, creating an attractive total-reward package that further promotes staff retention.
Referring to the CIPD’s latest health and well-being survey, April 2022, many organisations accelerated their employee well-being activity throughout the pandemic. Two years on, Covid-19 continues to heavily influence employee health and well-being, however, evidence suggests that activity in this area is starting to slip, and a more holistic approach - based on health risks and workforce needs - is required. Additionally, the UK survey covering 804 organisations and more than 4.3 million employees, revealed 70% of HR respondents agree well-being is on senior leaders’ agendas, down from 75% recorded last year. Whilst these figures are lower than the first year of the pandemic, the longer-term trend suggests that employee well-being has been gradually rising up the corporate agenda.
The value of prioritising employee well-being goes beyond avoiding presenteeism and reducing absence levels. Evidence continues to grow and showcase a positive link between the introduction of well-being programmes and improved engagement and performance levels. Additionally, employers have identified their top three benefits including a healthier and more inclusive culture, better work-life balance, and heightened employee morale.
The team at Smith and Reed is 100% on board with promoting, initiating, and championing well-being for the whole team. Since January 2022, we have established a full well-being system and further increased productivity levels whilst strengthening our collaborative culture.
Our total-reward package for employees perfectly aligns with the organisation’s people, innovation and flexibility values and supports the concept of better work and better working lives.