Workplace Well being Initiatives: 35 Ideas For Your Office

Employees are the backbone of every business. They keep things running smoothly and maintain a positive culture in your company. You want to make sure that they feel appreciated, challenged, and fulfilled by their job. In this article, we will go over 35 workplace wellbeing initiatives you can create a thriving workplace culture for your employees!

What is Workplace Wellness?

Workplace wellness is the culture of an organization that creates health, wellness, and happiness for its employees. Creating a thriving culture means creating initiatives to encourage healthy behaviors in your workplace. These may include banning smoking in the workplace or providing nutritious snacks at work so the employees are not tempted by junk food vending machines nearby. These small changes can have a huge impact on the health of your employees.

Why Invest in Workplace Wellness?

If you have a culture that is healthy and thriving, your employees will be happier which leads to higher productivity. It’s simple math. Here are some reasons why should one invest in workplace wellness –

Employees who feel taken care of at work are more likely to be loyal. Employees are more likely to recommend your company as a great place to work to other people. These workplace well-being initiatives help lower health care costs and hospital visitations for sick days. The employees have a larger network of contacts within the company.

There are several benefits to workplace health, according to studies. It’s difficult to calculate the return on investment in terms of money, but a study published in Health Affairs outlines that there is one.

• Productivity and motivation will be enhanced: An employee who is both mentally and physically healthy can do his or her task more efficiently since they have more energy and are more focused.
• Employees who participate in group wellness initiatives, both in and outside of workplace, will have a shared goal, resulting in enhanced team morale.
• Work-related stress is reduced: Being mentally and physically healthy reduces tension. This, along with mindfulness exercises, allows a person to work productively.

Key Areas for Workplace Wellbeing Initiatives

The CIPD identifies seven critical aspects of employee well-being. To guarantee you fulfill these standards, you’ll need to go above and beyond basic workstation wellness ideas. The following are the seven key areas of employee wellbeing:

1. Health
2. Good work
3. Values/principles
4. Collective/social
5. Personal growth
6. Good lifestyle choices
7. Financial wellbeing

Staff health and well-being must be integrated into management strategies and systems. The first step to improving employee wellbeing is to assess and audit their present state of well-being, decide where you want to be, then figure out how you’ll get there.

A staff wellness audit is an excellent approach to evaluate your wellbeing efforts from a holistic perspective. However, if you know the key areas where you want to make improvements, you may create specific suggestions for them.

Health Initiatives at the Workplace 

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), health includes physical, mental, and social aspects of an individual. 

If your workers are not healthy, they will be unable to function effectively. Making sure your staff has measures in place to enhance and maintain their health will guarantee that they are productive. These often include –

• physical health
• mental health
• physical safety

If you give and encourage staff to take care of their physical and mental health with company wellness initiatives, you’ll have a better staff. An injured employee who can’t work may attempt to sue, making safety in the workplace especially vital.

Some health and well-being initiatives are –

• Flexible work schedules – allow employees to adjust their hours and days off if necessary onsite wellness services, such as fitness or nutrition classes – provide a chance for your team members to take time out of the day to focus on themselves while still at work. This can help with stress relief and mental health initiatives.
• Promoting good eating habits by maintaining a healthy food supply at the workplace. 
• walking meetings, allowing workers to get up and move around.
• occupational health assistance.
• having a corporate health insurance policy is beneficial.
• Providing training and tools for employees to promote safe work behavior and personal safety
• Mental health counselors also help in the mental well-being of the employees in the workplace.

Work Environment Initiatives 

Employees need to feel motivated, appreciated, and cared for to be able to make optimal use of their skills at their workplace. Providing them with opportunities for personal development can go a long way towards this goal. Some initiatives are –

• Encourage employees to balance their personal and professional lives by providing them with flexible working hours.
• Ensure that staff is at ease in an ergonomically designed office/desk.
• Make sure your company has strong line management skills. Regular socials encourage a work-life balance.
• Bonuses and incentives should be equitable and open for all to see.
• Providing open spaces to interact with other employees. 
• Organize clubs to promote social interaction.
• Include plants at your work desk.

Values and Principles at Workplace 

A person’s conscience has a big influence on their identity. If they don’t think they’re working for a “good” company, their motivation and well-being will be impacted. Employees who truly believe in the firm and its ideals would be happier at work and more focused on achieving success, that includes –

• With an Employee Assistance Program (EAP), you can show a clear commitment to health and wellbeing.
• Hold charity events or encourage volunteering through work, optional of course. Engage with the community through sponsored events.
• Back diversity and inclusion with training days that discuss ways to make workplaces more inclusive, as well as pro-diversity policies like flexible hours that benefit all.
• Create an internal company newsletter that shares new initiatives, employee accomplishments, and what’s planned for the future of your business to keep employees updated on the inner workings of their workplace culture.
• Reward achievement with unlimited paid time off or through flexible hours so that your staff can take vacations when they need it most. This will also prevent burnout.
• Create an open-door policy so that employees are comfortable approaching their managers with questions or concerns, so they can meet company goals more effectively.
• Provide the opportunity to work from home part-time if possible for those parents who cannot find child care so they do not have to worry about finding a babysitter every day when they do not have a job.

Personal Growth Initiatives 

Growth is what keeps people driven in their jobs. If they don’t feel as though they’re learning anything or growing, but the company is, they aren’t concerned.

It’s in a company’s best interests to grow its employees and raise the bar at the same time so that it can keep improving.

Employees who are happy in their careers will be glad to stay with a company for longer, and the more experienced they are, the better.

The learning doesn’t have to be formal or in a classroom setting either. If employees feel comfortable asking their superiors questions about how something works or why things get done that way, then that’s an opportunity for personal growth.

It can even be helpful for supervisors to encourage their subordinates to ask more questions about how things are done. Some more ideas include –

• Encouraging possible mentors to connect with one another in the workplace.
• Offering development, knowledge sharing, or upskilling via mentoring from other employees or divisions.
• Having career and performance advancement planning software or services as a park holding resilience training to enhance personal growth.

Good Lifestyle at the Workplace 

Encouraging employees to make positive lifestyle choices will go a long way towards improving their health. Some people feel they can’t do some of these activities because of their job. If you back them, they’ll get big health and wellness advantages. Here are a few ideas:

• Have healthy snacks available for employees throughout the day.
• Set up a table with fruits and vegetables, or have fruit bowls around your office.
• You can even provide small bottles of water to help prevent dehydration from coffee!
• Create an open space where people feel comfortable taking off their shoes. This will encourage them to switch up their posture throughout the day, which can help prevent back problems.
• Provide free healthy lunches to employees. This will encourage them to take a break from their desk and socialize with others in your office!
• Adjust lighting during important times of the year (e.g., winter or summer). While you may not be able to adjust it year-round, it will certainly help employees adjust to changing seasons.
•  Provide a place in your office for napping. Just because you’re at the office doesn’t mean that an employee isn’t allowed to rest their eyes! A quick 30-minute nap can do wonders.
• Encouraging employees to get up and walk around every hour or so if they are sitting for extended periods is a great way to avoid the physical effects that come with being sedentary.
• Do not allow employees to eat at their desks during certain hours. If they must, encourage them to do so in moderation. 
• Provide workout classes at work or subsidized gym memberships.

Socialization at the Workplace 

During adulthood, a person spends most of their time at their workplace. Employees will never be as successful in their role as they might be if they come to work dreading it. A positive social and collective identity at work can help an individual feel more at ease and allow them to succeed. Some ideas include –

• Encourage collaborative initiatives by holding frequent group brainstorming sessions and idea sessions to build business relationships in the workplace.
• Hold regular socials, such as Friday beers or a company lunch, to foster team bonding.
• Open a forum to involve everyone in the decision-making.

Financial Wellbeing Initiatives 

A person’s financial state will have a significant influence on their day. Work performance may be affected by stress caused by income levels, lack of financial knowledge, or the absence of employee benefits.

Here are some ideas that can help you take care of the employees’ financial wellness.

• Provide interest-free loans/ credit cards to your employees so they can focus better on their work without worrying about repayments.
• You could also provide them with tax-optimized investment options like NPS or PPF, etc., taking care of both savings and tax.
• Let them participate in the company’s ESOP programs or give them stock options to help them feel that they are on par with the owner of the business.
•  Provide interest-free loans for buying houses/ cars, etc., so that employees can meet their personal financial goals without worrying about repayments during working hours.

Sanitization and Hygiene at the Workplace 

A filthy workplace packed with germs means that everyone is a possible carrier of a sickness, which may be transmitted via contact with the infected individual – even creating a tiny outbreak. You’ll be reducing threats for employees by providing a safer and saner work environment. Here are some measures – 

• Ensure the workplace is properly ventilated.
• Make sure there are enough toilets available for all employees in case of emergency and ensure they are clean at all times.
• Also, make sure that any staff toilet facilities are kept separate from public use areas to avoid contamination risks.
• Ensure that the work desk is clutter-free. A messy workspace may demotivate the employee. 

A word from Mantra Care 

Do you want to keep your employees happy, healthy, and productive? Join our employee assistance program and get a healthier workplace.