5 ways to address wellbeing

Have you ever thought about what people really do want to support their wellbeing at work? How can you approach this as an employer? Well the team at Juice have looked at exactly this and we wanted to share some of our findings with you. The most popular wellbeing benefits in the UK currently include…

The most popular wellbeing benefits in the UK currently include…

• Flexible Working: 32%
• Private Health Care Insurance: 15%
• Enrichment Training: 15%

• Wellbeing Days: 14%
• Cycle To Work Scheme: 13%
• Mental Health Apps: 13%

Flexible working is the most popular benefit and it isn’t something people just want, those who have it, find it highly beneficial to their wellbeing.

Flexible working comes in many forms, but ultimately it supports the blurred lines that are now ever-present in our work-life.

If the past two years have taught us anything, it’s that health is something we can never take for granted. Wellbeing days not only offer your team further education on their own health and lifestyle but they also offer the chance to connect as a team on more meaningful matters.

Imagine a company culture where everyone felt healthier and more confident to openly talk about stress or mental health.

That’s a future we should all be striving for. Wellbeing incentives may not only be costly, but they also take time to implement. This is why choosing benefits that will be truly utilised by your team may feel overwhelming.

There are many stories where companies have adopted the latest wellbeing trend, only to realise it was never helpful to their team in the first place. As a business, you’ll need to speak to the very people who are going to be impacted by these benefits to find out exactly what they would like/require.

Workplace wellbeing needs to go beyond tokenistic gestures and provide people with the genuine care and support they need to work well.

The 5 ideas we have put into action are:

1. CONSIDER FLEXIBLE WORKING IF YOU HAVEN’T ALEADY…..
   • Whether that’s a 4-day working week, allowing your employees to work from home, a 6-hour day, or compressed hours. Look at the options that are out there and set up a trial with your employees. 
2. GAIN FEEDBACK FROM YOU TEAM ON YOUR IDEAS….
   • Don’t take on any wellbeing trend without running it by your team. It’s easy to get swept up in the latest ideas, but it is so important to ensure it will genuinely help them.
3. HAVE REGULAR CHECKS WITH YOUR TEAM….
   • Regularly check in with your team about their wellbeing needs and compare this to what the company is offering. Have open discussions about what’s working and what’s not working. Avoid a suggestion box as this never gives context. Be brave and commit the time to find solutions together.
4. LOOK AT INNOVATIVE OPTIONS….
   • Be imaginative with your team about the wellbeing packages you could come up with and ask… if there is anything that could be part of wellbeing in the company culture, what would it be? Don’t limit yourself to just what’s currently available.
5. CREATE A WELL BEING CALENDAR….
   • With wellbeing days, consult with your team about what learning or support they would love to see, and perhaps create a calendar of events. It’s important to collaborate with your team on this because there will be some things people won’t feel comfortable with, for example, not everyone wants to do yoga in front of their team.
   • Get as many ideas together from all the team and ensure that your wellbeing benefits reflect your teams and their best interests.