Whether you are an executive leader or the lowest on the totem pole, you make a difference in the culture of wellbeing at your workplace. The phrase "culture of wellbeing" is increasingly becoming popular at an organizational level. Now more than ever people desire a place to work where they feel valued and cared for. Everyone in your organization can play a part in creating a culture at work that people want to be part of.
Why workplace wellbeing is vital
Here’s the deal, as the workforce evolves people are going to be attracted to organizations that show that they care about their personal wellbeing. Not only that, organizations should want people on their team that value their own health and wellbeing. Below are a few reasons why.
If people spend the majority of their waking hours at work, they want a job that supports their wellness efforts.
Many people have heard this before, our actions are a result of the people we spend the most time with. For a lot of us, our colleagues at work are those people. If you have a group that gets the negativity bug, it becomes like a contagious virus and it takes a lot of work to find a cure. Positivity is also contagious and helps people flourish and live up to your full potential. Positivity comes from a sense of wellbeing. Creating a culture of wellbeing shows employees that they are cared for and are supported.
People that are healthy and well can be more productive.
From a business operation standpoint, people that feel healthy and well tend to be more committed to their jobs. It doesn’t matter what industry you are in. Those who are more physically and emotionally healthy can also be better equipped to handle business related stresses and keep the work environment positive in the meantime.
Happy and healthy employees tend to stay longer
In addition to good leadership and good benefits, putting an emphasis on wellbeing in the environment can create a happier team of workers. When people feel like they are cared about as a whole person not just as workers, they are more likely to stay with an organization for the long haul.
Tips for bringing wellbeing into your culture
Any big wellness initiative should be supported and practiced by the leaders of the company. On the other hand, initiatives from the ground up can have a huge impact as well!
Get some assistance
If creating a health and wellness program isn’t your area of expertise or if you don’t have the time available to create a successful program, don’t worry. We can help! We have an entire team of health promotion professionals that will work with you to create and facilitate a program that meets the needs and interests of your organization. Even more, this is a free service to all of our commercial employer groups. If you are not insured by us, you don’t need to miss out! We offer contracted services with competitive rates for outside organizations.
Start your own wellbeing journey
Create a spark in your life and then let it catch fire. Find an area of your life that you want to improve, set a goal for it, make a plan to achieve it, and get to work. The people you are surrounded by will notice your shift. If they want it, they will catch your fire too. Once you get others on board, you can create your own challenges, competitions and initiatives. Just be sure to be inclusive! If someone from another department is interested in what your group is doing, encourage them to join in. The more the merrier. This is a good kind of fire, let it burn!
Show appreciation
If anything, practice outwardly showing appreciation. Hold a door open for someone you see walking into the building, make eye contact and say hi as you pass someone in the hallway, write a thank you note or email to someone who helped you with something with your work. Leaders, tell your direct reports what you like about something they did, even if it’s part of their job requirements. Just a little goes a long way. It all starts with showing people that you care.
We want to help you create a successful wellbeing program that you and your organization needs. Give us a call at (715) 552-4300, tell the receptionist that you want to talk with me about creating a worksite wellness program, and we will get the ball rolling!