Employee Wellness – An employee’s perspective

Recently, we covered the importance of employee wellbeing from a CEO’s perspective. Taken from this point of view, there are three major benefits to investing in employee wellness: increased productivity, better employee engagement, and greater employee retention. It boils down to one thing: the healthier the employee, the healthier the organization.

Wellness can be defined as the act of practicing healthy habits with the aim of attaining better physical and mental health outcomes. Whereas, wellbeing is said to incorporate a sense of purpose and direction, as well as contentment and peace. So, imagine optimal wellness as these two together…. At the end of the day, it results in healthier, sharper, high-performing people with good work-life balance, better quality relationships, and high levels of happiness.

When we speak about wellness in the workplace, we’re talking about the purposeful creation of environments and structures that promote optimal wellness for each and every member of staff. Creating a strategy to encourage and support employee wellness is quite an undertaking, however (as has been repeatedly shown through reams of research on the subject) there are significant benefits for organizations, each of which highly outweigh the initial investment. These solutions can be tailored to suit the unique needs of different organizations so that they can achieve the precise results they are seeking.

From an employee’s point of view, they want to work for organizations and leaders that both inspire them and value them. In recent years, many of the world’s most successful and dynamic organizations such as Google and Facebook (for example) have poured investment into their employees’ wellness because they understand that not only will it make for increased work productivity, but it will also be something that attracts the best talent to their organization. When considering job offers, company culture is a massive determining factor. People yearn for balance and prosperity in all areas of their lives, and a company that places an emphasis on the wellness of its employees is a company where most people want to work.  

Employee wellness initiatives cover a broad spectrum; from in-house seminars with medical and holistic health professionals to corporate sports tournaments, weekly sports training with company teams to seasonal family and community events. The options are as varied as the interests of the employees and the aims of the organization. Ultimately, a clear emphasis on employee wellness is always a great investment.