Creating a culture to foster diverse wellbeing, where employees will feel supported to do what works for them, or to develop stronger wellbeing habits, requires attention to each of these four levels. Here are some ideas we have seen work well:
- Personal
Provide opportunities for personal and professional development including:
- Education – about any or all aspects of wellbeing
- Training – to develop more skills and personal resources, for example in mental fitness or developing emotional agility
- Coaching and mentoring – both formal and informal e.g. peer support
- Shared relationships
- Support regular staff communication via meetings, intranet
- Provide opportunities to promote workplace spirit e.g. social clubs, sports teams
- Host and support team challenges e.g. 10,000 steps, team bringing the healthiest lunches or initiating new and creative team wellbeing ideas
- Promote and support wellbeing champions
- Leader level
- Support time for staff to engage in activities that promote health and wellbeing
- Walk the talk – take personal recovery breaks, keep physically active, maintain a reasonable work/life balance and work hours
- Establish and support a health and wellness working group
- Support physical activity breaks – stretching or movement
- Set up and participate in a lunchtime walking group
- Encourage walking meetings
- Include families and/or partners in wellness events
- Organisational resources
- Ensure a safe physical environment
- Provide health and wellbeing resources, e.g. yoga classes, meditation room
- Provide health and wellness checks and follow up on data and trends
- Establish wellness performance indicators
- Wellness audits – use a health and wellness survey to establish baseline and monitor changes and employee progress
- Ensure the organisation’s policies and practices support wellness behaviour change
- Provide bike racks, showers and changing facilities to make it easier to be active during the work day
- Offer flexible work hours to allow for wellness activity during the day
- Provide wellness-related functions – guest speakers, classes and celebrations
- Provide weather protection gear e.g. an umbrella or sunscreen
- Provide opportunities and space for employees to relax e.g. provide music and a recovery space
- Provide a nap room
- Encourage open and honest communication opportunities, e.g. survey and suggestion boxes