The Importance of Well-Being Checks on Your Teams
Stress in the workplace has a negative impact on the well-being of workers as well as the company’s bottom line.
Unhappy workers are absent more often, upset patients and work less productively as part of a team.
A widespread issue
Reventure’s 2017 Workplace Wellbeing report reveals some alarming statistics:
• 73% of Australian workers are stressed about work.
• Stressed workers are 2.5 times more likely to look for a new job in the next year.
• 51% of workers believe unrealistic workplace expectations have the greatest negative impact on worker well-being.
Things are not much better in New Zealand it seems. The 2017 Wellness in the Workplace report showed sharp increases in workplace stress over the previous two years.
The biggest stressors were reported as excessive workload, pressure to meet work targets, long hours and difficult workplace relationships.
The positive effect of workplace well-being programs
As reported in Workplace Wellbeing, around 85% of workers believe their employer should step up and find a solution to workplace stress.
Another study of 250,000 Canadian workers in more than 40 organisations researched the effects of national well-being programs in the workplace. Significant improvements were found across the board in terms of employee engagement, reduced absences and increased patient satisfaction in hospital settings.
Some of the most successful initiatives included:
• Peer support for staff following traumatic work situations.
• Anger management and conflict resolution programs.
• A holistic approach to staff well-being including physical, psychological and spiritual support.
How to monitor and improve staff well-being
A range of initiatives can be introduced to promote well-being in healthcare and help staff work in a safer, healthier way. This can be done in four main steps.
1. Needs assessment to identify the right strategy for your workplace.
2. Presentation of business case to senior management.
3. Design and implementation of your wellness program.
4. Monitoring and evaluation of results.
Each workplace is different. Yet every workplace needs to keep its workers well and happy.
It starts with basic Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) considerations along with other factors affecting worker’s physical health. Then it extends to staff mental health and psychological wellbeing.
Taken together, your wellness program could include standing desks, yoga sessions, gym discounts, support sessions, flexible work arrangements, family considerations and counselling options.
Benefits of health and wellness programs
There are numerous rewards for employers offering thoughtful and strategic wellness programs in their healthcare organisation.
• More engaged staff
• Boosted work performance
• Increased productivity
• Greater job satisfaction
• A more resilient workforce
• Better teamwork
• Happier patients
• Reduced absenteeism
• Greater staff loyalty
• A more functional organisation.
Wellness programs can also help you attract top talent to your organisation. If you’re looking to hire, a specialist agency with years of industry experience can ensure your health sector recruitment unearths the very best talent.
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