Employee Wellbeing: How Your Company Can Make a Difference

As we move beyond the years that were defined by the COVID-19 Pandemic, it is important to recognise the organisational shift in employee management and workplace expectations to ensure colleagues feel satisfied and supported in their roles.

A recent study by The Irish Times shows that 4 out of 10 Irish employees are likely to move jobs within a year due to stress including pay, workload and workplace culture. Many suggest that this is an extension of ‘The Great Disconnection’ which began in 2022, as over 63% of employees felt disengaged at work, struggling to navigate their post-pandemic life. This has continued over the past few years as employees still face growing challenges in their workplace.

Why Are Employees Feeling Disengaged?

Over the past five years, employees globally have faced numerous challenges, including:

• The COVID-19 pandemic
• Shifts in work culture and practises
• Political uncertainty
• Rising cost of living crisis
• Environmental concerns

Understandably, external pressures are extremely distracting and have led many employees to struggle at work and at home. To avoid additional stress, disengaged employees often keep a low profile at work - not because they necessarily dislike their jobs, but because they lack passion. Staying out of the chaos of work may sometimes feel like their best coping mechanism.

This can become a vicious circle for employees as the more they stay ‘out the loop’ at work, the more they are likely to feel disengaged. This can become problematic for businesses as it can heavily impact productivity. Ensuring your employees feel happy, psychologically safe and supported at work is important for the success of your teams and organisation. 

The Importance of Managing Employee Wellbeing

Properly managing your employees’ wellbeing at work is crucial, including your team’s financial, physical, and mental health.

It can be difficult for organisations to recognise this, however, as mental health is not always noticeable. Absenteeism in Ireland due to mental health issues, such as stress, anxiety and depression, costs employers €1.5 Billion annually.

Prioritising wellbeing at a local level creates a stable and supportive environment that boosts job satisfaction for employees and makes the organisation more attractive to new talent, which is crucial in a competitive job market.

How to support your team’s wellbeing

1. Understand your employees

Understanding what matters most to your employees will help prioritise initiatives effectively. For large organisations, gathering this information can be challenging but it can create a more local feel as employees will be more understood. Smaller organisations can leverage their size to their advantage by conducting focused group discussions to identify the most impactful initiatives to their employees.

Encouraging open communication, regardless of the organisation’s scale, can go a long way in supporting teams, motivating employees to share their opinions and feelings. This could be encouraged further by creating open workspaces in the office, giving employees the option to interact, collaborate, or work privately. Supporting various working styles will more than likely boost staff wellbeing, especially as hybrid working has reduced office interaction.

2. Educate your teams

Educating and openly discussing mental health in the workplace helps employees understand the subject further, recognising how to respond to issues. Organisations could seamlessly integrate this by:

• Running sessions during awareness days/months (e.g. Time to Talk day in February, Men’s mental health month in November)
• Scheduling bi-monthly lunch sessions for optional participation and learning
• Hosting informal coffee meetings to encourage conversation

Creating a comfortable and community-focused environment will most likely make these sessions more successful and collaborative.

3. Employee Assistance Programmes (EAPs)

EPAs are a valuable addition to any organisation as staff members may not always feel confident sharing their problems with managers and colleagues, despite their best intentions. EAPs provide staff access to confidential counsellors who provide external, and sometimes specialist, perspectives.

EAPs also take the pressure off managers, who may not be equipped to handle every issue, providing employees with professional support when dealing with complex problems.

4. Support active lifestyle

Physical activity is proven to help reduce stress and increase energy levels, which is not always a top priority when at work. However, making a conscious effort to offer initiatives throughout your employees’ day is essential to elevate their wellbeing.

Daily tasks, like encouraging staff to take regular walking breaks, or the option for stand-up desks are simple but effect. This could be supported by a sponsored running goal, creating a focus for staff to stay active and mindful outside of work, while raising money for charity for example.

5. Offer Staff Perks and Rewards

Recognising employee hard work by offering various perks and rewards is crucial to show that staff efforts are not taken for granted. Recognition can be as simple as saying thank you when a team member shows proactivity and helps beyond their job role. Alternatively, you could invest in something more exciting for high-achieving employees and teams.

In relation to the cost of living, rewards like affordable healthcare, memberships and discounts on everyday items are always a great perk to give to employees as they are useful. Vouchers can also create a sense of fun for staff, by offering discounts on special treats like dining out and family outings.

To ensure these benefits truly feel like a reward to employees, regularly promote them and seek input on what they value most. This also helps to maintain their engagement, drive and motivation to earn these perks.

Managing wellbeing at work is never easy, but by identifying your employees’ needs and common challenges successfully, you can shape your approach and develop an effective framework that benefits your organisation. This includes:

• Enhanced workplace culture
• Purpose-driven teams
• Supported environments
• Increased staff motivation
• Retained top talent

At Adecco, we regularly help organisations achieve their goals. If you need an outside perspective and support with improving your employee wellbeing programmes, we have a number of solutions we can discuss.

Reach out to our team to find the best approach for your organisation.