What is health wellbeing in the Workplace?

Health and wellbeing in the workplace relate to all aspects of working life. Covering everything from the quality and safety of the environment, to how workers feel about their work, general working environment and the climate of their working environment. Its aim is to make sure all workers are safe, healthy, satisfied and engaged at work. A lack of recognition or care for employees health and wellbeing can lead to issues; such as stress or conflict in the workplace. Workers health and wellbeing is often considered to be key to a company’s success, longevity and effectiveness so putting a focus on the wellbeing benefits everyone and is a worthy cause to invest in.

Why is employee wellbeing so important?

Employee wellbeing is important within your office as promoting wellbeing helps to increase productivity and motivation within your employees. Healthier employees are more efficient and focused and thus perform better in their day to day roles. It also helps to bring teams together and improve office morale as teams that engage in wellness initiatives together both inside and outside of the office build a stronger sense of comradery. Employee wellness is also important as it helps to decrease work-related stress within the office. Companies who engage in the wellness of their employees place a focus on mental health and mindfulness. This can help give employees tools and tips on how to best deal with their workload and stress in their life. Companies that place a strong focus on employee wellness also tend to have a higher rate of employee retention and find it easier to recruit new hires.

How can you promote health and wellbeing in your office?

There are many ways you can promote health and wellbeing within your office. Encouraging people to live and eat healthily is a strong way to promote wellbeing within your company. You can also promote fitness within your staff members by encouraging them to walk or bike to work, or by implementing exercising initiatives like at desk exercises. Exercise helps to keep your staff active and also clears their minds, making them more productive and acts as a stress relief. Ergonomic furniture is also a simple way to promote health and wellness in your office as it helps to reduce injury risk while working. Height adjustable desks, a good ergonomic chair that is adjusted to the body shape and posture of your employees, computer monitor arms and other ergonomic furniture can also significantly improve your employees day to day work life and wellbeing as well.

Can office furniture improve wellbeing?

Office furniture can have a direct influence on office wellbeing and can also drastically improve the wellbeing of your employees. Ergonomic chairs are designed to support your back’s natural curve and improve your posture, supporting your spine, muscles and other bones by conforming to your body shape. Sit-stand or height adjustable desks are also designed to improve your health and wellbeing as standing while working helps to improve your body’s circulation. Height adjustable desks are also ideal for employees who are shorter, taller or in wheelchairs as the adjustable nature of these desks means that comfort of all of your employees is catered to while they work.

Can office ergonomics improve wellbeing in the workplace?

Implementing a systematic ergonomic plan within your office will improve the mental and physical wellbeing of all of your office workers. Ensuring that your employees workplace is set up to meet their needs and matches ergonomic standards can help to make sure that their risk of injury or future risk of musculoskeletal diseases is reduced, as ergonomics helps to reduce strain on your neck, back and shoulders. Ergonomics helps to improve wellbeing in the office as well as ergonomic furniture can help to improve your employees’ mood and engagement in their work. Ergonomics also helps to make workers less tired and irritable.

Is employee wellbeing linked to office productivity?

Employee Wellbeing is linked by some researchers to improvements in office productivity. For example, workers who have outside views are likely to be up to 25% more productive and process information and calls 12% faster. Exposure to natural sunlight also helps to increase productivity by 18% and better lighting in general increases productivity by 23%. Improved air quality within your office can also increase productivity by up to 11%. Getting outside and walking around in the fresh air and sunlight is proven to improve productivity as well. In general, the happier and healthier your employees are in their work environment, the more productive they will be in their work.