Is it enough for a company to just offer mental health benefits such as Wellbeing Wednesdays or lunchtime yoga? Whilst those activities absolutely have their place, a company needs to also address the systemic factors that contribute to wellbeing in the workplace.
But what on earth are they? Systemic, describes something that affects an entire system. For example, ‘systemic changes to an organisation have an impact on the entire organisation, including its most basic operations,’ according to Websters Dictionary.
These operations can include leadership, culture and company processes. The big chunky things within an organisation. All the things that will have a significant impact on employees. They influence prospective employees in their decision to work at a company, affect their working life and are often the reasons for staff retention issues.
So, a company that is big on supporting their employee’s wellbeing should definitely be addressing the systemic factors of their organisation.
‘Wellbeing initiatives often fall short of their potential because they stand alone, isolated from the everyday business. To gain real benefit, employee wellbeing priorities must be integrated throughout an organisation, embedded in its culture, leadership, and people management.’
Read more on the CIPD website here.
But here is where I think we can’t ignore the wellbeing benefits! We should not be fully focused on systemic changes, sometimes a Wellbeing Wednesday has a significant impact, not to mention it’s easy and cost-effective to do.
I think we are at a place now where a good culture and great leaders are expected by the workforce. Wellbeing should be a given, and be developed within a workplace environment. It is not a benefit that is supplied by a company it just… should be.
Don’t get me wrong I am aware it can be difficult to achieve and can take some time. But it should be the employer’s responsibility to create such an environment through organisational health and recruitment amongst other things.
Activities like a Wellbeing Wednesday, a yoga class or flexible working hours are wellbeing benefits, and their impact should not be underestimated.
It shows you are thinking about your employee outside of just their job role and their workload. That you recognise that an employee’s home life can affect their work. That you want to promote healthier habits outside of the work environment. And quite simply shows that you are putting in the effort to provide wellbeing benefits to your employee. And in my opinion that is a great starting point.
A person’s wellbeing isn’t solely dependent on their working environment, so why wouldn’t we support their wellbeing in a rounded way?
Not to mention changes to culture and leadership take time, it can involve big decisions and changes that won’t be instant. So, how quickly do we want to, and are we able to have an impact, to offer change?
There should be a big focus on the systemic factors within a company but the little ways a company can help an individual’s wellbeing should not be ignored. We need both and the sooner the better.
At huunuu we offer experiential training that can help you get your wellbeing groundwork sorted. [email protected]
