How to protect staff now and in the future

Wellbeing used to be all about encouraging staff to take the stairs over the lift or in house events promoting a local gym to get staff moving. All of these are great ways to motivate employees but there are so many other components to wellness at work that aren't just about physical fitness. Financial and Mental wellbeing are now more important than ever and more organisations are incorporating benefits to keep staff happy and healthy.

These benefits shouldn't be about a quick fix, it's all about providing solutions that are there for staff when they need help, but that also provide assurances for any future difficulties. Here are some tips on how you can make sure you become a wellbeing champion at work, and your staff will be sure to thank you for it.

In the moment initiatives

These are perfect for the fitness fanatics that want to look after their health and are ready to make a positive change to their life. Offering a selection of discounted gym memberships is one of the best ways to get your staff motivated and moving. Also, if you have a benefits app or platform, a wellbeing section is ideal for the staff who want instant access to benefits. They can find gym info, discounts on their sports equipment and read the latest wellness articles all in one place. Our client, ScotRail, offered every member of staff a Jawbone fitness device in a bid to get staff more excited about getting moving. This was more of a long term incentive but staff could apply for a device with a couple of taps on their phone, making it far easier for them to get involved.

Help is at hand

When it comes to wellbeing, mental wellbeing should be at the top of every HR Team's agenda. With 1 in 4 people suffering with a diagnosable mental health condition each year[1] companies need to take action. The traditional employee assistance (EAP) programme has evolved over the years and is no longer just about a support line. Organisations can build their EAP programme into their app, meaning that staff can get help at any time of day, wherever they are. It may be that employees are too busy during the day to source help and advice or they might not be desk based any may not be PC facing. Either way, you need to make sure that they know a variety of help is available, including confidential advice, counselling and useful blogs. The easier you make it for staff to seek help, the higher the chance of them taking positive action and addressing the problems at hand.

Different strokes for different folks

We now have more generations in the workplace than ever before[2] and as a result, most organisations will have lots of staff who are facing challenges in all different aspects of their wellbeing. For example, the Baby Boomers may be more concerned with keeping fit or looking at life and health insurance benefits. Millennials may be more interested in moving into their first home, which is where a fair value loan could be helpful. This doesn't mean to say that every member of staff should have a different benefits package. What is does mean, is that you need to understand that when it comes to wellbeing benefits, you cannot adopt a 'one size fits all' approach. With so many staff in different stages of life, their priorities and attitudes to wellbeing will vary and it is important that employers understand this.

Remember, it's good to talk

As much as it is beneficial to offer a variety of benefits, all easily accessed by every member of staff, it won't be much use unless you are offering staff benefits they actually want. The easiest way to ascertain which of your Wellbeing Benefits are hitting the mark is to speak to staff. Pulse surveys, feedback forms or even grabbing a quick coffee with each team can help you to fine tune your benefits package, as well as showing staff that you are genuinely interested in their wellbeing, both inside and outside the office.

Financial, Mental and Physical wellbeing programmes are all so diverse yet equally important in today's workplace. What is most important is making sure that the benefits you offer address current, in the moment wellbeing, but also provide assurance and support for issues that may affect your employees in the future. Showing your staff that you care about their wellbeing will not only help them become more engaged, you may find that it also improves happiness and productivity levels in your organisation too.

Remember, whatever you do, make sure that employee benefits are available on their mobile phones in order to ensure they can easily find services when they need it most. So seek feedback, review your programme and get started on your new tailored wellness strategy for staff. On your marks, get set, GO!

[1]http://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/statistics-and-facts-about-mental-health/how-common-are-mental-health-problems/

[2]http://www.prweb.com/releases/2017/04/prweb14264314.htm

Personal Group Holdings plc published this content on 07 September 2017 and is solely responsible for the information contained herein.
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