Many employees are experiencing exclusive work-from-home for the first time. With new working conditions and the need for physical distancing, practising healthy habits is harder than ever. Are you finding it a challenge to support your employee's mental and physical wellbeing? Is your company culture and productivity suffering as a result? Now, more than ever, we need to help our employees feel safe, connected and informed.
Use these steps to build your wellbeing strategy. By taking a proactive approach we can mitigate the burnout risk and reduce the stress our employees are experiencing.
- Communications from leadership and management let employees know that their wellbeing is of utmost importance. Leadership support for wellness programming is a key component for success. 72% of employees with high levels of well-being say they also have high managieral support. Select the communication channel that works best for your organisation and send regular touchpoints from your leadership team or department managers outlining company resources available to support employees during these uncertain times.
- Share examples from team leaders of how they are staying healthy. Your company is in this together and personal examples go a long way. Employees are 34% more likely to be engaged in well-being programs when their managers are actively involved.
- Send reminders to your workforce to take their breaks, enjoy lunch away from their computers, and to make time for family and connecting virtually with friends during non-working hours. Employees may be worried about being perceived as not working hard enough if they take breaks. Plus, as we have all discovered, it is easy to lose track of time!
- Our commute is now just a few steps, we may be eating our meals where we work and the lines between private and professional lives are blurred. Provide resources on how to build and maintain healthy habits while working from home. By sending useful information and actionable tips your employees will know that you prioritize their wellbeing.
- Those with workplace friendships are not only more productive, they are also more engaged and happier. However, working from the seclusion of our homes can leave us disconnected from the sense of community our workplace provided. Create company-wide wellness goals. Not only is it easier to stick to a health goal when you are accountable to others, this is an opportunity to bond together over non-work activities. Wondering where to start? Try the 20 x 20 Challenge!
20 X 20 Challenge
The goal - 20 minutes of exercise each day for 20 minutes. Making time for our physical health helps us manage our stress, sleep better and have the energy to be productive and enjoy our days. Share the company-wide goal with your employees by e-newsletter, email, or create a Slack channel for the goal. Get creative! Encourage everyone to book 20 minutes into their calendar every day for 20 days, then sweat along to an online workout video, perform a yoga routine, practice some weight-bearing exercises, or enjoy a gentle dynamic stretch. Lead by example by sharing photos of how you make time for fitness and encourage your workforce to share their tips and pictures of staying active at home.
