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13 Tips to Help Promote Employee Health and Wellbeing – Part 2
By: Benefits by Design | Tuesday June 13, 2023
Updated : Tuesday January 16, 2024
Social and Financial Health and Wellbeing
In this final part of our mini two-part blog series about supporting employee wellbeing and health, we’ll discuss tips on how to promote the social and financial aspects of the four pillars of wellness.
13 Tips to Help Promote Employee Health and Wellbeing – Part 1
When all four pillars – Physical, Mental, Social and Financial – are accounted for, it allows space to develop a well-rounded, healthy individual.
Promoting Employee Wellbeing – Social
The social aspect of employee wellbeing should not be ignored. In fact, “70% of employees say friends at work is the most crucial element to a happy working life.” Allowing bonds between employees to form naturally can help with your employee retention, productivity, and collaboration.
6 Dos and Don’ts for Building a Successful Workplace Culture
1. Team Building Activities
Get your teams together to do something fun! Whether it be virtual or in-person, there are a plethora of team building activities that can nurture employee relationships, and thereby help with company culture and employee wellbeing when it comes to being social.
Try escape rooms (both in-person and online), bowling, cooking classes, cake/cookie decorating, celebrate birthdays, or create a scavenger hunt or trivia game. Not sure what your employees would like? Ask them, you might be surprised at their responses.
2. Employee Recognition
Show your employees how much you appreciate them. There is nothing worse than working hard and long on something and being proud of your accomplishments, only to have them go completely unnoticed. It may very well be that the effort is recognized, but if you don’t tell your employees, how will they know?
Try having annual awards ceremonies. Or a quarterly meeting where you recognize the efforts and work of your employees. Celebrate milestones and achievements, such as employee tenure or certifications received through courses and webinars.
8 Employee Recognition Ideas for a Positive Employee Experience
3. Encourage Chit-chat
As mentioned above, employees with friends at work are more apt to like their job. In fact, half of employees with a best friend at work say they are more connected to their company. And allowing those natural connections to form will make collaboration easier and smoother.
So, encourage employees to make small talk. As long as they aren’t spending their entire shift doing so, your business will benefit from these interactions.
4. Peer Appreciation
Provide an online platform for employees to praise and thank each other. There are many available, and they work similar to social media, except they are for internal employees only.
Make sure employees are trained on how to use the platform, and encourage them to tag each other in posts and shout-outs. If you are having a hard time getting employees to participate, the best way is to lead by example. Make sure the leadership team is utilizing this outlet as well.
Sometimes having a peer recognize another employee’s work can bring their achievements to the attention of management for some well-deserved recognition.
Promoting Employee Wellbeing – Financial
Overall employee wellness is tied to their financial health. And it doesn’t just affect employee wellbeing, it also affects your business. In fact, “financially stressed employees are 5 times more likely to be distracted at work and 46% spend 3 hours or more a week dealing with financial issues”.
Navigating Financial Health: The Role of Employee Benefits in Debt Consolidation
5. Offer Financial Resources and Support
It’s obvious that in these tight financial times, employees could use a little help alleviating some of that financial stress. Offering Group Retirement Solutions (GRS)’s that include monthly or annual contributions for employees can help. At Benefits by Design, we offer a Group Registered Retirement Savings Plan (GRRSP) matching program.
For more immediate relief, you can offer a bonus or incentive for attending financial workshops or webinars. And just providing the information is a good start. Ensure employees can easily access resources. Encourage them to work with a financial planner if things are really dire, as this can help ease financial worry.
6. Provide an Employee Assistance Program
An Employee Assistance Program (EAP) offers financial advice for employees when they need it. It’s confidential, and employees are connected with a financial professional based upon their specific needs. And an EAP isn’t just for financial assistance, it can help with all types of life’s stressors – including marital issues, elder and childcare support, legal advice, counselling services, and more!
The role of employers as simply salary providers has changed immensely. Gone are the days where a decent paycheque was enough to keep your employees happy. With the younger generations seeking better work-life balance, and placing themselves above their career, employers would do well to ensure they have a robust and thriving company culture. And that includes supporting employee wellbeing in all aspects of their health.
Not sure where to begin? Start with these ideas for building a resilient and healthy workforce.
Employee Wellness Program – Benefits and Options
