High-performing organisations recognise the benefits of a holistic employee wellbeing programme that takes them well beyond their statutory health and safety obligations. By helping their staff commit to improving their physical and emotional health, eating well and being active, firms are reaping the rewards.
Here’s our take on why you need an employee wellbeing strategy, what it could include and how to place your employees’ needs at the heart of your plans.
The business case for employee wellbeing
Employee wellbeing programmes have been in spotlight for some time now. In the past, employers tended to take an ad-hoc approach, introducing an employee wellbeing initiative here and there as time and budgets allowed. Yet more organisations are taking a considered approach because they know an effective employee wellbeing strategy can pay dividends:
- Rapid change means employees need more support – as pressures increase on employees, from the way they work to the skills they need to be able compete, employee performance and engagement is at risk. Employers who focus on wellbeing to address these issues find it pays off: Royal Mail invested £45 million in health and wellbeing and generated a £225 million return from 2004 to 2007.
- Wellbeing is measurable – from increasing employee engagement, driving productivity and improving brand image to strengthening your employer value proposition and reducing sickness absence or wellbeing risks; there are plenty of ways to demonstrate the return on your investment and get leadership backing.
- Your competitors are already doing this – almost half of UK organisations have a defined wellbeing strategy in place and 84% of those without a plan intend to introduce one between 2019 and 2021.