Wellbeing extends far beyond simply eating healthily and getting enough rest, it encompasses factors such as relationships, spirituality, work and money.
Strong relationships help people feel happier and healthier, reduce feelings of loneliness or isolation and aid with managing stress more easily. Therefore, it is vitally important that employees receive equal opportunities to develop their social network.
Employee engagement
Employee engagement refers to positive attitudes and behaviors employees display toward their job and company. But it should be remembered that engagement does not equal happiness, satisfaction, motivation or empowerment – disengaged employees often feel negatively toward their jobs and may evade wellness programs altogether.
Building an employee-friendly culture and giving employees the power to make health-related decisions that meet their individual needs can boost engagement and well-being, such as allowing them to adjust work hours when necessary or providing access to healthy snacks, on-site clinics or other support services.
Employees exhibiting high engagement and wellbeing score significantly higher on overall life evaluation than their counterparts who are disengaged or unhappy in their jobs. An environment like this one helps minimize absenteeism and turnover rates while increasing customer satisfaction and profits – creating such an environment requires leadership from above as well as an in-depth review of corporate practices and policies to create a culture of wellness.
Workplace culture
Culture plays a significant role in employee well-being within an organization. This includes how employees interact with one another, company values and whether or not their ideas are heard and respected. To promote healthy workplace cultures, employers should provide resources that promote healthy lifestyles as well as open communication about employee goals and aspirations.
Establishing a culture that supports employee wellbeing takes time and effort. One approach to doing this is incorporating health and wellness activities into existing work events and setting aside a space dedicated to physical activity. Engaging managers with well-being initiatives through their teams is also important in creating trust that the company prioritizes employees’ needs – leading to an virtuous cycle of employee satisfaction and success that ensures employee success in turn. Finally, regular town hall meetings that address both business initiatives as well as wellbeing initiatives serve as evidence that leadership cares for employees’ wellbeing initiatives demonstrating leadership’s dedication in prioritizing employees needs.
Workplace health and safety
Workplaces have an enormous effect on people’s health and wellbeing. They can lead to physical injuries or illnesses like hearing loss, skin diseases and lung issues; even leading to death in extreme cases. OSHA enforces national workplace safety laws in this regard.
Employers have an obligation to provide their workers with health and safety training in order to reduce work-related accidents and illness.
Human Resources professionals can aid in creating a healthy and safe workplace environment by combining safety protocols with wellness initiatives to promote employee well-being. HR can also encourage team leaders to be proactive about health and safety by setting clear expectations about attending safety training or adhering to policies – this may reduce workers who refuse to abide by these regulations since it’s not their responsibility.
Mental health
Mental health affects how someone thinks, feels and acts. Additionally, it can influence coping abilities for daily stresses as well as crises or more significant challenges in life.
People with strong mental health tend to be more resilient and better at rebounding from disappointments, losses, trauma and stress. They can form strong relationships while finding meaning in life.
Biological evidence points to hereditary factors for many mental health disorders, as well as environmental and social influences such as stress, abuse, poverty and the characteristics of certain cultures and societies.
Some mental health conditions can be effectively managed with medication such as antidepressants and antipsychotics, while psychotherapy (or talk therapy) is another solution; different forms include cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavior therapy which help change negative thoughts and behaviors. Some individuals may require more intensive treatment in a psychiatric hospital due to severe mental illnesses or because they pose a threat to themselves or others.
