The Importance of a Manager’s Role in Employee Wellbeing

As a manager, you have the power to create a healthier workplace. You have the opportunity to lead your employees by example.

The critical aspect of your role as a manager is stimulating a constructive change and creating a supportive environment.

Research finds that employees who thrive in all aspects of wellbeing, including purpose, financial, social, physical, and community, have high customer ratings, miss less work, solve problems efficiently, and adapt to change more quickly than those who are good at any one element.

Many companies find it hard to start their workplace wellbeing strategies off the ground, and as a manager, you can be pivotal for the success of these wellbeing initiatives.

Why are managers important?

• Managers are viewed as instigators for change.
• They are seen as gatekeepers because they allocate resources such as time, space, and money.
• Managers are leaders who create an environment for success.

As a manager how can you shape employee wellbeing

Practice self-care

Managers must lead by example. When work bleeds into your other areas of life, it leads to stress—so set boundaries. Stop working on crazy hours, take vacations, make your desk a zen space.

Take walk breaks, stay hydrated, be proactive of what you need, and set challenges for yourself to increase productivity. When your subordinates see you, they also follow all the healthy habits.

Show gratitude

Expressing gratitude may be one of the easiest things managers can do to boost employee wellbeing and morale. Identify the specific actions you find admirable and praise them sincerely.

Social niceties do belong at work so often include please and thank you. Treating your teammates for a meal, offering incentives, offering personalized gifts, creating surprises by bringing in cupcakes, or chocolates may create commodore and positivity in the workplace. Employees will take note of it and will follow suit.

Stay active

Packing more activity in your workday prevents you from being sluggish. Excessive sitting may slow up your metabolism, affecting your body’s ability to regulate blood pressure and sugar. So depending on your location cycle or walk to work.

To avoid being sedentary, stand up regularly. Walk more, take stairs instead of elevators, stand up to answer phone calls, and set up an alarm to remind you of an activity break.

Re-engineer your workplace. Offer activity monitors, introduce a pedometer program, encourage walking meetings, advise employees to sit on bounce balls, introduce games to the workplace. Create walking tracks, add standing desks, and desks with movement interventions such as treadmills. Take an active lunch break.

Build holistic wellness of employees

Your employees are whole human beings comprised of physical, emotional, and intellectual experiences. They don’t exist in a professional capacity to serve your company, so employee development must be holistic. This process includes emotional balance, intellectual growth, and physical health.

Many employees are in the dark about healthy lifestyle practices. As a manager, you could bring in health professionals once a month and conduct classes. Yoga classes, cooking classes, and stress management classes are some great ideas.

At Corporate Sports, we offer tailored sports activities, webinars, and classes for employee wellbeing. As a manager, if you have concerns about how to start wellbeing initiatives, you’re welcome to consider our services.

Offer healthy choices

Avoid fatty snacks and sugary drinks in your company vending machines. Instead, provide food choices that meet healthy nutrition standards. Include fresh, canned, and dried fruits, pure fruit juices, salads, low fat bagged snacks, plain or mixed nuts, non-fat milk, or yogurt. Create a community fruit basket where your employees can add fresh fruits for everyone to share.

Make wellness easy and convenient.

Keep your wellness initiatives fun and simple. If the staff are too stressed, their participation might quickly dwindle. Employees will be willing to participate if they don’t get involved in time-consuming wellness initiatives. Make your wellness programs convenient. Offer your employees opportunities to exercise throughout the day, such as exercising for 30 minutes of paid time.

Model

Lastly, it would be best if you practiced what you preach. Employees won’t actively participate if you are not involved in wellness initiatives. As a manager, make it a practice to take annual health assessment, take a flu shot, and join biometric screenings. Likewise, participate in group wellness activities such as walking clubs and meditation classes.

If you’re a manager at your company, try implementing our above tips; if you need any further assistance in initiating wellness programs, please give us a call. We’re glad to help.