Why Is Well-Being In The Workplace Important In 2024?

Feelings of well-being are fundamental to our overall health, empowering us to successfully overcome difficulties and achieve what we want from our work life. 

Prioritising well-being in the workplace promotes the physical and mental well-being of employees. When employees are physically and mentally well, they are likely to be more productive and experience less stress and burnout resulting in increased job satisfaction. 

Research from University College Cork (UCC) and Munster Technological University (MTU) found that while 76% of employers said they see employee mental health and well-being as their responsibility, a whopping 80% are not investing in workplace mental health. (Chartered Accounts Ireland Archive, April 2023) 

Companies that actively prioritise well-being see higher levels of retention, reduced absenteeism and presenteeism. 

We at the HR Suite advocate that Workplace Well-Being should be at the top of all employers’ agenda. We can support you by helping you design a well-being strategy that works for you and your employees. 

Why Is Well-Being In The Workplace Important? 

Better Productivity

76% of employers in Ireland recognise their responsibility in supporting employee mental health but 80% have no mental health budget.

Employee well-being and productivity are closely linked, when employees feel good, they are likely to be motivated and more productive while at work.  

Some key workplace well-being areas to focus on to ensure employees are in a good place are:

• Work/life balance 
• Promote physical and mental well-being initiatives 
• Support the creation of a positive work environment 
• Promote regular breaks and breaking down priorities into manageable chunks 
• Promote learning and development and celebrate achievements 

Remember improving retention and employee well-being is a continuous process and by implementing some of the strategies outlined above will help create a workplace where employees want to be part of, thrive in and contribute to its success. 

Better Work/Life Balance (The Right to Disconnect) 

Having boundaries between work and personal time is critical for employee well-being. The right to disconnect from work outside of normal working hours or scheduled roster. Employees need to enjoy time away from work without being disturbed. 

As of 1st April 2021, all employees officially have the Right to Disconnect from work and have a better work-life balance, supporting workplace well-being strategies. 

The Right to Disconnect gives employees the right to switch off from work outside of normal working hours, including the right to not respond immediately to emails, telephone calls or other messages.  

There are three rights enshrined in the Code: 

• the right of an employee to not have to routinely perform work outside their normal working hours 
• the right not to be penalised for refusing to attend to work matters outside of normal working hours 
• the duty to respect another person’s right to disconnect (for example: by not routinely emailing or calling outside normal working hours) 

If you would like to discuss or need a policy to support this, don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Better Physical and Mental Workplace Well-Being

Ideas to Promote Physical Well-being 

• Walking meetings 
• Participate in bike-to-work scheme 
• Provide shower facilities so that people who exercise before or during work can freshen up 
• Fitness challenges 
• Daily stretch routine 

Ideas to promote Mental well-being 

• Make Lunch break mandatory 
• Set up mental health resources for employees (EAP) 
• Encourage time off 
• Encourage connection and collaboration 
• Recognise a job well done 
• Invest in professional and personal development 

 Benefits of Investing in Employee Well-being  

Companies that prioritise investing in the health and wellness of their employees are likely to see that pay off in higher productivity and performance of staff, a new survey has found. The research, analysed by Trinity College on behalf of Healthy Place to Work, found that work-life balance has become a priority for staff following the Covid-19 pandemic (The Irish Times Archives, March 27, 2023) 

Here are some key advantages to investing in workplace well-being 

• Increased employee productivity 
• Improved Retention 
• Improved staff morale 
• Reduction in absenteeism 
• Cost saving in health 
• Increased innovation and creativity 
• Better teamwork and collaboration 

Workplaces that invest in employee well-being are happier, healthier, and more productive. Physically active workers take 27% fewer sick days. They are less stressed and report better morale than their fewer active colleagues.

Developing a Well-being Strategy

Your well-being strategy should be tailored to your organisation and involve key stakeholders in the planning and rollout. 

Here are some simple steps to get you started 

• Evaluate the current well-being status using surveys, focus groups, interviews 
• Scope out the project and set realistic objectives and milestones 
• Identify focus areas and prioritise these 
• Allocate resources, don’t try to do it all yourself; look for well-being champions for each department to drive the agenda 
• Create an implementation plan, again be realistic and take current constraints into account 
• Develop a robust communication plan to raise awareness 
• Encourage feedback post events and take the learnings to drive improvement 
• Evaluate, adapt and refine your strategy based on feedback and learnings  

Don’t give up, if an event/initiative is unsuccessful, try something else, your employees will appreciate the effort.  

The key is to include all employees, may this be their well-being strategy, not yours! Get in touch if you would like to hear more about how we can assist you.

Conclusion 

Fostering a culture of well-being is an ongoing process that requires commitment. Companies can create a workplace that employees want to come to and be part of if they commit to a few simple strategies such as lead ship buy-in, the introduction of a well-being policy, involving all employees, offering training and having a strong communication plan in place.  

By prioritising well-being in the workplace, companies can create a positive and supportive environment that leads to less turnover and overall business success. 

What Other Services Do The HR Suite Offer?

The HR Suite is a leading HR consultancy that supports many SMEs nationwide in employment law and HR Training. 

We offer a wide range of off-the-shelf and tailored training to suit business needs from employment law to leadership development programmes and management development programmes.

Some other training solutions we offer are dignity and respect in the workplace and diversity and inclusion which are available as an e-learning option also. Visit our full suite of E-Learning options. 

Contact us to discuss your needs, however big or small we have an option that suits you. 

Some other blogs on our website that might interest you include a guide to annual leave in Ireland, disciplinary procedures and grievance procedures.