Long gone are the days of office staff working long hours and being compensated by having their boss’s credit card behind the bar at a nearby pub after work. Team bonding, client meetings and networking were fuelled by booze and the only consensus to staff wellbeing was a packet of paracetamol in a drawer to deal with the inevitable hangovers. This was never a very healthy or inclusive way of keeping staff happy even then but now, with nearly a third of 18 to 24 not drinking at all, it really is inadequate. Businesses having their own wellbeing teams can lead to staff being more motivated, feeling more valued and staying with the business longer. Here is how it works:
One Size Doesn’t Fit All
Alcohol culture was ubiquitous for a while there but there is no single replacement for this which will work for all businesses. When individual businesses have their own in-house wellbeing teams, they can decide which will work best for their company. Cycle to work schemes are popular in some businesses but, if you know your staff mostly live far away or are made up of a demographic unlikely to cycle, it’s not going to be a good choice. There is also the issue that an aging population combined with an ever more tech-savvy younger generation are creating a more diverse workforce than ever so single solutions for a business may not be adequate and different options for different staff members might be necessary.
Team Culture
Wellbeing teams within organisations don’t just have the advantage of being able to tailor the company’s wellbeing initiatives to the team culture, they actually help to create a team culture by bringing staff together and asking them what they would like to help them feel better at work. By everyone working together to find the ideal ways to look after everyone’s needs, everyone feels valued and listened to. There’s nothing worse than ‘enforced fun’ or token efforts at perks that no one wants. It could be your team would be far more motivated by development opportunities than free gym memberships but you won’t necessarily know that unless you have people in your business dedicated to finding out.
Inclusive
A more diverse workforce with new needs and wants means that looking after their wellbeing needs to take all this in and include everyone. Helping to support your team’s mental, emotional and physical wellbeing will be easier if you have a group of people inside that team working to that end to provide a range of options the staff will actually take up and appreciate rather than feel they are having forced onto them.
With work related stress at epidemic levels and billions of pounds and work days lost to stress-related issues, company wellbeing initiatives are essential. The Float Spa founder, Camille Pierson, recommends that every company with 10 or more employees should have such a scheme in place to minimise sick days and maximise staff productivity. Having a team within your business who are responsible for this not only allows you to find the best solutions for your business, they can take the time to find the best options at the best prices, etc. Camille has a great deal of experience in this area and can work with companies to implement the kind of wellbeing programme that can be of huge benefit to your business while keeping your staff happy. Call 01273 933 680 or emailcamille@thefloatspa.co.uk to find out how The Float Spa can help.
