Investing in Workplace Health and Wellness to Drive Employee Retention
Beyond sustaining business profits and performance, companies and organisations must pay attention to their most valuable asset: their employees. You’d want your employees to remain and thrive in your firm in the long term, which is why a previous post highlights the importance of employee retention strategies to keep your workforce engaged and support their performance, productivity, and growth. Whether you’re a small business or a large corporation, training and skill development can be viable ways to avoid recruitment and onboarding costs due to high turnover rates.
However, another feasible strategy for driving retention is prioritising workplace health and wellness, as it ensures your workers can meet the demands and conditions of the working environment without being stressed or burned out. The following ways show how you can invest in the health and wellness of your employees to improve their personal well-being and business outcomes.
Allow hybrid and flexible working
The previous article linked above explains how hybrid and flexible working arrangements can help retain employees by enabling them to take better control of their productivity and outputs. But besides avoiding micromanagement, allowing flexible working can also minimise turnovers by keeping employees physically healthy. Research shows that a better work-life balance due to flexible working can improve heart health and reduce the risk of cardiometabolic diseases. When workers are physically healthy, it reduces absenteeism and allows them to perform better at work, ultimately fostering retention.
Provide wellness benefits and programmes
Besides redesigning work hours and arrangements to be more employee-friendly, employers can also provide wellness benefits and programmes across all levels of the organisation. Research by the social media recruitment platform Socially Recruited found that firms across the UK are, in fact, going above and beyond in promoting wellness perks in light of the mental health crisis. Job listings referring to wellness subsidies, budgets, and discounts have grown by 310% in 2022-2034, while companies advertising counselling services to their staff have nearly doubled (95% increase). This positive shift toward prioritising personal well-being can create supportive work environments and encourage long-term productivity and loyalty.
Support employees’ health and wellness goals
Funding wellness programmes and services shouldn’t be the be-all and end-all of employers’ investment in employee health and well-being. Instead, you should proactively support your workers’ health goals and encourage them to sustain their progress. In light of 68% of the UK adult population being overweight or obese, employers can connect their workers to weight management programmes with regular workshops that provide practical advice, support, and expert coaching to participants. By simply searching “weight loss workshops near me," employees can be more motivated and accountable in achieving their weight and overall wellness goals. Since these workshops can be in-person or virtual, employees aiming to lose weight and keep it off can find a schedule that doesn't interfere with work and personal responsibilities.
Offer healthy dining options
Lastly, a crucial yet often overlooked aspect of workplace health and wellness is diet and nutrition. The Institute for Health Metrics notes that poor nutrition can negatively impact health nearly three times as low fitness, while also being a risk factor for obesity, a chronic condition otherwise linked to higher sickness absence and lost revenue. While workers themselves can take the initiative in transforming their diets and eating habits, workplaces can aid in this effort by providing healthy dining options at office canteens, pantries, and breakrooms. Alternatively, managers can create lists of local restaurants and food places with healthier menus for those who eat out or order their meals.
Overall, there are multiple ways for employers to invest in both the physical and mental aspects of employee health and wellness. As with any other investment, they must continuously monitor and evaluate results to ensure progress and identify potential areas of improvement. For more resources on achieving your business goals, continue reading the blog posts here at The Business Community.
