By Insider.co.uk

Copyright insider

The notion of ensuring staff are happy at work is not new.

Workplace wellbeing was a concept that phrase that originated in the US in the early 1900’s, as labour unions fought for workers’ rights. Employers came to see the advantages of having a vital, alert and rested workforce.

In the latter half of the 19th century, the concept came to be used in connection with discussions about improving meals in the staff canteen, or introducing better seating and lighting, for example. In most cases, it went no further than practicalities, and had not yet become in any way holistic.

Certainly, businesses that used to boast of being ‘a great company to work for’ were most probably only doing so to attract staff. Others regarded workplace wellbeing as ‘nice to have’, but not essential.

This type of thinking persisted for decades, with no clear strategies, and without those in positions of leadership being truly involved in implementing change, as thankfully, they are now.

It took the pandemic to really shake things up, as without greater workplace wellbeing, employers realised that workers were not going to return. And, if and when they did, they wanted far more support for their mental and physical health.

Now employers realise that a valid, fully thought out and implemented wellbeing offer tells potential new staff about your workplace culture, and how much you want to keep them, once recruited. It also tells them that you rate what they do, and that meaningful support is available, should they need it.

Any successful organisation, its culture and its belief system, can now be measured by the wellbeing offer. Prioritising wellbeing is not just a box ticking exercise anymore, but a vital ingredient for the health of an organisation, leading to better morale, better engagement, better productivity and long-term resilience for the workforce.

Workplace wellbeing can now take an all encompassing approach, tied to flexible working, generous annual leave, comprehensive employee packages, and, in the best cases, having a mental health-trained HR person.

Overall, when workplace wellbeing is executed well, not only are there less rates of sickness and absenteeism in the business, but employees will share their positive experiences, building the business’ reputation as a good employer. It goes a long way to support staff retention, definitely putting the workplace above others in the recruitment market. Which can be very useful indeed if it’s a competitive sector.

We need to keep the ball rolling though. There are still workplaces out there that take the ‘nice to have’ viewpoint, and think they can’t actually implement, or afford, a meaningful policy.

In larger companies, workplace wellbeing often falls under the HR team, who are already used to looking after recruitment, sickness absence and supporting managers, who in turn support their teams. Some firms have taken it further with the appointment of people directors, who shape people strategy and culture to align with its overall business goals.

Along with overseeing the HR function, they focus on attracting, developing and retaining talent to create a positive and productive work environment. Their responsibilities can include developing strategies for talent acquisition, onboarding, performance management and employee engagement.

In my view, the development and growing importance of this type of role, is a huge step in the right direction. It ensures that workplace wellbeing must be allied to a leadership role all the time, the two go hand-in-hand.

Smaller businesses don’t always have the luxury of even an HR department, with the responsibility directly lying with the employer owner. The issue can become cloudy, with workplace wellbeing perhaps feeling more like family or friendship, rather than a project to be managed and directed in a professional sphere.

A 2024 CIPD report stated that employee sickness absences are at the highest level they had reported for over a decade, particularly in the public sector, with the average rate of employee absence 7.8 days per employee, or 3.4% of working time loss per year.

There is good news however, with over half of all organisations questioned by the CIPD now revealing that they have a standalone well-being strategy in place. Over two thirds of respondents reported that senior leaders have employee well-being on their agenda, with mental health continuing to be the most common focus.

Financial well-being, a previously neglected topic, is now receiving increased attention. It was also revealed that more organisations than ever have employee assistance programmes in place. In 2022 it was 74%, and in the 2023 it was 84%. Things are moving in the right direction.

It’s evident though that achieving the perfect workplace well-being isn’t a quick fix, it’s a delicate balancing between both mental and physical fitness.

No one size fits all. We must keep the issue in the spotlight, keep pressing, keep challenging. Business leaders must continue to embrace the concept, finding an overall policy that works for their employees.

As I look forward to gathering together female business leaders together at my summit in November, how can a woman’s perspective help?

Even the most dedicated female workers will have to occasionally take time off work due to health issues, pregnancy and menopause being the main two. The economic cost of menopause-related productivity losses is around £1.5bn annually, plus additional losses from sick days and presenteeism.

About 75% of organisations say they’re confident in their menopause benefits, and 26% offer midlife care programmes specifically addressing menopause-related needs. Only 26% of women strongly agree that their employer cares about their well-being though, signalling a significant perception gap. So more certainly needs to be done.

Women in positions of power can implement workforce wellbeing by creating flexible and inclusive policies, leading by example through self-care and open communication, fostering supportive environments.

They can formalise menopause policies, with flex hours, health support and stigma reduction. They can also offer targeted women’s health resources, such as wellness platforms and educational toolkits.

Mental health kits and financial well-being benefits must be accessible and visible. Women need to feel safe discussing health and stress in an inclusive, supportive cultures.

We want to empower early-career women, close the ‘broken rung’ and build promotion parity. Finally, we need to see support for mental load balance, recognising external pressures and offering practical flexibility.

Lesley Canis runs Calm&Co Office Yoga an facilitates the Scottish Women’s Well-Being Summit