With a national mental health crisis looming, monitoring, and prioritising staff wellbeing should be at the top of your to-do list. The CIPD is currently encouraging businesses to invest in the wellbeing of their staff.
In this blog, we’re going to share our tips on how to successfully monitor staff wellbeing.
Why Is It Important To Monitor Staff Wellbeing?
In January, it was reported that mental health conditions cost UK employers up to £45 billion per year. Presenteeism, health-related absences and high staff turnover were noted as the biggest issues. And this was before the COVID-19 pandemic hit.
The pandemic has and continues to impact the mental health of countless individuals – and this may include your employees. As we try to adjust to the changes to our lifestyles, such as remote working and self-isolating, it is imperative that you are focusing on staff wellbeing.
By monitoring staff wellbeing, you will be able to provide support when your employees need it. You can help reduce employee stress and burnout whilst increasing productivity and engagement. Monitoring staff wellbeing also provides an opportunity to reduce staff turnover and absenteeism.
Here are our top tips for monitoring staff wellbeing.
Communicate Regularly
Communicating regularly with your team will create an open and honest environment, especially if some of the communication is informal. If your employees are working from home, ensure they have the right technology in place to communicate with each other effectively. Encourage regular face-to-face interaction, such as weekly team meetings and catch-ups.
Plus, take the time to communicate with your employees one-on-one. If you have a large company with various departments, ensure the management team are communicating effectively with each of their employees.
Checking in with each employee individually, even if it just to see if their workload is manageable or share company news, will help your employees feel less isolated when working from home. It will also provide an opportunity for employees to speak up if there is something they are unhappy with.
Check Company Policies
Your company should have a policy dedicated to supporting the mental and physical wellbeing of your team. To monitor staff wellbeing efficiently, you should review the practices and policies surrounding staff wellbeing.
For example, your policy should highlight the company’s approach to employee mental health, tackling causes of work-related stress and supporting those who are experiencing health problems.
It may be useful to discuss the policy within a team meeting to highlight the support available for employees and demonstrate your commitment to the health and wellbeing of your team.
If employees feel as if their employer cares about their health and wellbeing, they will feel more comfortable raising a concern or opening up if they are struggling.
Introduce Wellbeing Solutions
Wellbeing solutions, such as the Wellspace App and Portal, allow businesses to monitor the health and wellbeing of their team. Employees can track their physical activity, sleep pattern and mental wellbeing using the mobile phone app.
They also have access to an abundance of articles and guides on improving their health and wellbeing. Employers can then monitor staff wellbeing via the Portal. If a staff member is struggling, the employer can provide the support and training they need to help the employee. Wellbeing solutions are particularly useful if your team are working from home.
Tailored to your business and personalised for each employee, wellbeing solutions are rapidly becoming a popular way to effectively monitor staff wellbeing.
Carry Out Staff Surveys
Staff surveys are a proven way to successfully collect honest employee feedback and identify issues or concerts employees have. However, a government survey carried out in 2018 found that only 58% of boards were using staff surveys.
if you already have a routine staff survey, it may need editing, so it is in line with current working conditions. Ensure the surveys remain completely anonymous to encourage staff participation.
Use Exit Interviews Effectively
If an employee is leaving, they are often willing to honestly discuss their experiences within the workplace. Carrying out an exit interview allows you to receive honest feedback about the workplace policies that are in place. Ensure you discuss employee wellbeing in an exit interview and ask how the employee feels employee wellbeing can be improved in the future.
Get In Touch
Here at Wellspace, we create bespoke health and wellness solutions for businesses of all shapes and sizes. Our innovative employee app and portal allow you to monitor staff wellbeing. When paired with our Wellbeing Training, you can improve the health and wellbeing of your team.
By improving employee wellbeing, you will see an improvement in productivity and engagement and a decrease in absenteeism and staff turnover.
If you would like to find out more about Wellspace and the solutions we offer, get in touch. Alternatively, for more advice and tips, head to our blog.
