How to bring wellness into the workplace

As the modern workplace continues to change, here are 11 ways to bring wellness into the workplace

CREDIT: This is an edited version of an article that originally appeared on Work.Life

Mental health initiatives

Mental wellbeing is vital for employee wellness and work happiness. Mental wellness initiatives at work can help to improve both brand reputation and staff loyalty.

There are a number of things that employers can do to show their interest in mental wellness at work, including free or discounted therapy sessions and mindfulness or meditation classes. Try out a wellness workshop to help employees de-stress and bond with other team members.

Massages

A massage can feel like a real treat and something that many employees will reap the benefits from. For those who can afford it, massage is a great addition to any workplace wellness strategy. Massage companies like Urban Massage offer at-work massages to help relieve stress and boost productivity and can be flexible to suit the times that best suit you and your team’s schedules.

Exercise classes

Exercise is a great way for employees to relieve stress and is something that every organisation should offer in their workplace wellness plans. Whether it’s organising a team for five-a-side football, or arranging classes such as yoga or pilates, encouraging staff to take part  in physical activity at work is a great way to improve mental wellness at work – plus, it doesn’t have to come at a huge cost – could one of your team members lead a lunchtime wellness activity at work?

Healthy snacks

Healthy eating can play a huge role in ensuring employee workplace wellness. A quick win for organisations of all shapes and sizes, having healthy snacks in the workplace has been proven to help improve concentration – not to mention that healthy employees are more productive! There are many different fruit delivery companies in London and across the UK, as well as workplace catering companies, to deliver nutritious breakfast or lunch foods.

From breakfast meeting grub to Friday lunch delivery, there is a range of workplace catering ideas that can help keep your team happy and healthy.

Comfortable work environment

Work environment is one of the most important things when it comes to workplace wellness; there’s nothing worse than a dark, uncomfortable workspace that doesn’t have all the necessary tools. A healthy workplace environment – one that includes lots of light, working tech and comfortable seats and desks – can help to reduce absenteeism and boost productivity. Plants can play a huge part in ensuring a healthy workspace and cost very little. Companies like Lease-a-Leaf offer services to help you deck out your workspace with plants galore. These small wins can help boost health and wellness in the workplace.

Art and design

Just like the workspace environment, the design of your workspace can play a huge role in ensuring happiness and well-being. It helps employees to feel a sense of pride in the organisation they work for, and it also contributes to a positive work environment.

Tea and coffee

No workspace is complete without tea and coffee – in fact, the availability of free hot drinks can have more of an impact than you might think on workplace wellness. The more variety, the better; if you can afford to invest in a communal coffee machine, a French press, or even a few different varieties of tea, it’s an inexpensive quick win to add to your workplace wellness strategy. Again, there are workplace catering companies who can help you out with this.

Social events

Social events can encourage employees to develop friendships with their colleagues and peers – something we know helps boost work wellness. Big or small, companies can hold social events such as guest speakers, movie nights or networking events, and these don’t necessarily need to be relevant to your organisation. Emotional wellness at work is often underestimated, and social events can really help to improve employee relations and engagement. 

Flexible work hours

Where possible, employees love the option of working flexibly, and it has been proven to have a positive effect on workplace wellness. Whether you are able to offer a work from home a day per month, or complete flexibility to work when and where best suits employees, it can be a great way to boost wellbeing and job satisfaction and improve productivity.

Pet-friendly spaces

Pet-friendly spaces can not only be beneficial for boosting wellness, but are also a great tool in talent recruitment and branding. Various studies have shown that allowing pets at work makes employees happier, less stressed and more productive – plus, employees who have pets will have one less thing to worry about by being able to bring them to work. If you can’t commit to having pets in the workplace every day, why not nominate one day per month where you allow your staff to bring their animals to work?

Financial incentives

Financial incentives aren’t the be-all and end-all of workplace happiness – in fact, many employees prefer non-financial incentives such as team socials, coffee machines and healthy snacks – but they can help to improve employee wellness at work. They can be a great way to motivate employees and make them feel that their work has real value.