Why should I invest in employee wellbeing? This is something I’ve been asked many times by small business owners.

As we know, retention is a real problem in today’s society, so if you’re not taking care of your employees then not only are you driving high staff turnover, but you’ll also experience increased levels of employee absenteeism. However, this doesn’t mean that you need to invest huge amounts of money to put your employees’ wellbeing at the forefront of your business. I know myself that, as a small business owner, budgeting for the correct things to accelerate growth is tricky – which is why my recommendations don’t incorporate high costs.

If you don’t already have a wellbeing strategy in place, you can start by taking small steps to ensuring that your employees feel valued and fulfilled at work.

There are a number of steps that I’ve supported companies in taking to improve their employees’ wellbeing and have found these to be the most successful:

1. Offer flexible working

I know this has been said time and time again but the pandemic gave us the opportunity to change our ways of working for the better. Although, recently there have been some companies who have started reverting to their old ways and want employees in the office 100% of the time or ask that employees come in the office come in for 2/3 days per week but on set days, which absolutely isn’t flexible working. Flexible working provides employees with a much better work life balance. Flexible working doesn’t just mean location but time. By giving your employees the freedom to work at times that work best for them (within reason!), they’ll feel much more motivated. And if a member of staff is having a tough day and needs to work from home, they can do so. Trusting your employees build relationships.

2. Listen to your employees

We work with companies in creating employee surveys to gain valuable feedback. We then use this data to inform their wellbeing strategies. By giving your employees a platform to be heard and taking imminent steps to start improving your company culture, you’ll see an increase in employee satisfaction.

3. Mental Health Days

Giving your employees access to Mental Health First Aiders (MHFAs) or an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) is great but sometimes when experiencing poor mental health, you need a day off to look after yourself. Employees shouldn’t be made to feel guilty for taking time off or need to make up an excuse as to why they need a day off as looking after your mental health is just as important as looking after your physical health.

4. Make every employee feel included

Are the employees in your workplace who don’t celebrate Christmas given a day off for their religious celebrations? How about those who don’t drink? There is still a huge emphasis on work social events involving alcohol and so those who go out for drinks every Friday get more exposure to others in the company and therefore receive promotions over those who don’t. It’s so important to make your social activities inclusive for everyone.

5. Be transparent

Ensure that any communications you have with your employees are open and honest. If you’re honest with your employees, they’ll be honest back.

If you’re interested in making your employees’ wellbeing a priority in 2023 but don’t know where to start, you can get in touch with us at team@tommyhatto.com. We’d love to help support you!

GUEST BLOGGER AUTHOR:

LORNA WILKINS