Workplace Wellness – Is It Really Important?
Most employers know that an engaged workforce is more likely to be a more effective and productive one, but what is often unrecognised is the connection between engagement and the health and wellbeing of employees.
So the answer to the question in the title of this blog is simply – Yes!
It makes absolute good business sense to invest in your employees’ health and wellbeing. After all employees are the biggest asset to any organisation.
The cost of absence at work through illness is a cost most organisations can ill afford. Dame Carol Black and David Frost MBE carried out an independent sickness absence review in 2011, which amongst other things focused on the cost and nature of sickness absence in the workplace and what might help employers reduce absence and cost.
Therefore, the trend towards incorporating wellness programmes into engagement strategies is becoming increasingly more commonplace in many organisations.
The benefits for employers are obvious. Investing in your employees’ health and wellbeing by introducing wellbeing programmes can provide real solutions to many organisations’ key business priorities such as improved employee engagement, a decrease in absence from work due to sickness and possible health care costs, better staff retention, a more effective and productive workforce and healthier and happier employees. Indeed, M&S have seen many benefits by introducing their wellbeing programme into the workplace, including a reduction in staff turnover and helping and supporting over 13,000 employees to lead a healthier lifestyle.
It’s clear that looking after the welfare of employees has a direct effect on the success of the organisation – so it would prudent to get to grips with wellbeing in the workplace.
We at The Survey Initiative specialise in employee research, so if you would like more information on ways in which your organisation can increase employee engagement, then give us a call on +44 (0) 1255 850051 or contact us through our online web form.