In today's fast-paced environment, we all navigate chaos and hustle to achieve our goals, whether it's securing a new job, getting a promotion, joining a dream company, or finding the perfect opportunity. Daily workplace stressors often include poor work-life balance, demanding conditions, frequent travel, and endless meetings. Recognising these challenges, organisations are increasingly focusing on supporting the overall well-being of their employees.
Well-being at the workplace
In the past, the focus of well-being primarily revolved around safety, particularly in hazardous industries. Many companies handle chemicals and harmful materials, making safety a top priority. I remember designing a behaviour-based safety programme for an organisation aimed at increasing awareness and integrating safety into everyday practices. As times have changed, work pressures have increased, and workforces have become more diverse, the concept of well-being has broadened. Today, organisations support various aspects of well-being, including physical, mental, financial, and psychological health.
I have noticed that concepts and initiatives often turn into fads. Companies introduce them because they don't want to miss out on the chance to get involved. The most straightforward approach is to partner with an external Employee Assistance Program, followed by a few targeted initiatives and programmes to support employee well-being. The most common initiatives in wellness programmes are—
Screening activities provide opportunities to identify health risks and enhance access to various health assessments among employees.
Preventive measures involve addressing evident health risks, including discussions on diet and weight management, diabetes, chronic infections and viruses, and blood pressure regulation.
Health promotion activities encouraging a healthy lifestyle through yoga classes, healthy food options in the cafeteria, and gym memberships.
Organisations that genuinely aim to enhance their initiatives often appoint a well-being officer. I have encountered well-being in many different forms and contexts; however, it is difficult to find my type of well-being.
What is well-being?
Empirical studies define wellbeing as the subjective experience of feeling healthy, happy, content, comfortable, and satisfied with life. (Waddell & Burton, 31) It is a holistic concept encompassing the quality of working lives and serves as a crucial factor influencing productivity at the individual, organisational, and societal levels (10, 12-15).
Well-being is subjective because it depends on the experiences employees have in the workplace. It encompasses positive emotions, feelings of being valued, a sense of belonging, social interactions at work, the nature of the job, and opportunities for learning and skill development. Therefore, the organisation must closely align well-being with the culture.
How to build a culture of well-being?
Organisations must develop well-being and integrate it into the enterprise. Building a culture of well-being requires the ACT of Well-being.
Align – Well-being with an organisation's culture requires a strong philosophy and framework. A clear purpose is essential. Since each organisation has different maturity levels, it's crucial to tailor well-being initiatives to fit the context, needs, strategy, and leadership. Effective integration means not just creating well-being programmes but embedding them into the organisational culture through systems thinking. Leadership support and commitment are critical. Leaders should model behaviours that promote a culture of well-being, such as instituting no-meeting days and avoiding meetings on Fridays after 3:00 pm, among other relevant practices.
Collaborate – Well-being isn't solely the responsibility of the well-being lead, core team, or HR; it's a shared duty that everyone must undertake. While leadership alignment helps clarify the purpose of well-being, employees are the main drivers of progress. Providing training on mindset, beliefs, and behaviours that support wellbeing is vital. Managers play a crucial role in fostering team well-being. For example, an employee might attend a calming meditation before a meeting but then face disrespect, making it essential for managers to encourage ownership, promote well-being, and show empathy. Success depends on collective effort. Building communities around shared interests enhances wellbeing and strengthens bonds among employees. Additionally, identifying and empowering well-being champions to lead initiatives encourages healthy habits and cultivates a culture of well-being.
Transform – The fundamental shift happens when an employee understands what's in it for me. Each employee views wellbeing differently. It is essential to define, demonstrate, and clarify the meaning of well-being within the organisation. Wellbeing can become part of the culture by encouraging the right mindset and behaviours among employees. It includes workshops and programmes focused on emotional agility and building a culture of trust, collaboration, and respect. It's essential to empower employees with a range of tools that foster their well-being, enabling them to select the options that resonate most with their individual needs and preferences. For example, for some, well-being might be doing yoga; for others, going to the gym; and for others still, engaging in challenging daily work.
Wellbeing has expanded beyond physical, mental, and psychological aspects. It also includes employees finding meaning at work, feeling a sense of belonging, and experiencing empowerment.
Companies should integrate wellbeing at three levels to be successful and sustainable.
Organisation level – Aligning with values, context, and purpose
Team Level – Collaborate with a collective group of people to cascade and drive well-being and make it an integral part of the culture.
Individual level – Transform individual mindsets and behaviours by clearly communicating what's in it for them.
Empirical investigation indicates that employee well-being fosters positive organisational citizenship behaviour, leading employees to exert discretionary effort in their work.
Hence, well-being must be a holistic offering, contextual to the enterprise, embedded in the culture, and understood by employees to become an integral part of the organisation.
References-
Schulte, P., & Vainio, H. (2010). Well-being at work—overview and perspective. Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health, 36(5), 422–429. https://doi.org/10.5271/sjweh.3076
Disabato, D. J., Goodman, F. R., Kashdan, T. B., Short, J. L., & Jarden, A. (2016). Different types of well-being? A cross-cultural examination of hedonic and eudaimonic well-being. Psychological Assessment, 28(5), 471–482. https://doi.org/10.1037/pas0000209
Mattke, S., Liu, H., Caloyeras, J. P., Huang, C. Y., Van Busum, K. R., Khodyakov, D., & Shier, V. (2013). Workplace Wellness Programs Study: Final Report. RAND Corporation. https://doi.org/10.7249/RR254
Bennett, J. B. (2018). Integral Organisational Wellness™: An evidence-based model of socially inspired well-being. Journal of Applied Biobehavioral Research, 23(4), e12136. https://doi.org/10.1111/jabr.12136
Authored by: Rubi Khan, Head-Culture, Learning, Talent & DEI, Luminous Power Technologies (P) Ltd (Schneider Electric Group)