Chamber HR : What is Wellbeing?
On Monday night, it was a pleasure to give a talk on #employeewellbeing at Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce. It was great to see so many business owners and leaders wanting to learn more about this.
During the time that I have worked in HR, I have noticed a shift in the conversations which take place around mental health and wellbeing – employees are now more comfortable to talk about their mental health and wellbeing more than ever before. They are also very aware of what legal protection they may have under the Equality Act 2010 For me, there is a positive that staff are now willing to share their health concerns with their employer – we know what we are dealing with, which makes the situation easier to manage.
According to MHFA England, at any one time, 1 in 4 people will be experiencing poor mental health. In the workforce, 1 in 6 people will be struggling with a mental health condition. This has a big impact on each of those individuals, their spouses and partners, families etc. It also impacts businesses – lost productivity, the cost of sickness absence including sick pay, the cost of replacement staff, impact on work quality, customer service and so on.
So what is wellbeing?
Mental and physical health – both of these change during the course of a day, a week, a lifetime – both positive and negative – we can’t have health without both elements
How we feel, think and behave
Perception of the world – we all have different backgrounds, experiences, upbringings and this affects how we see the world
Self-esteem, confidence
Resilience – our ability to cope with what life throws at us – home, work, relationships etc
Many employees, particularly younger employees, are keen to understand how a business is going to look after their wellbeing. It is therefore important for employee attraction, recruitment, and retention, but it should be part of your overall approach to people management and HR strategy, not just the latest fad.
Not only is there a moral argument for looking after your team, but there are also a number of business reasons as well:
Happier healthier employees
Happy staff = happy customers/clients
Increased performance and productivity
Increased resilience to cope with challenges
Improved employee morale and engagement
Easier to attract and retain employees
Less employee relations issues
Lower rates of sickness absence
A more inclusive working environment
All of which impact on the bottom line. If you would like to explore how to develop a
well-being strategy for your business, please get in touch.
For more information, please contact Sarah Darbyshire at HR Solutions Yorkshire
