Though many factors can affect a person’s wellbeing, its’ safe to say that where we work has a big part to play in how well we are able to manage and control the various ups and downs that life can throw at us.

In a world where we’re currently banished to our homes, having to work, educate and virtually socialise our way through the quagmire of a locked-down January in 2021, ensuring the mental wellbeing of our workplace is now more pertinent than ever.

Naturally, as an employer, and one that is no doubt currently operating in isolation from your team, you cannot control every aspect of your employees life no more than you can control the erratic tweets of President number 45. What you can help to control however is the environment in which your colleagues work in, and if there’s something we all need a little bit more of this year, it’s a happy healthy team…and a healthy business.

Happy employees are more productive – it’s true, research shows that the happier and more content your employees feel then the more able they are to take on more responsibilities. To encourage this feeling psychologists state that employees need to feel significant within the workplace, essentially that they are valued for their skill and ability. So, taking the time to engage, praise and encourage team members in their capabilities and achievements really can directly impact on increased productivity levels for your business, pretty cool hey?

Wellbeing at work means less employee absences – there has long been a school of thought that if you encourage a flexible and inclusive workplace then your staff are less likely to take sick days or prolonged absences. This might seem like an irrelevant concept now that everyone is pretty much working from home, but bear in mind the additional stresses that home life can bring. Teaching an uninspiring curriculum to uninspired children takes time and patience. Therefore the fundamentals of flexible working still apply. Be gracious with your team members when they’re up-against with it a work deadline while also project managing an over-zealous contemporary art project. These are unprecedented times and just because people are at home it doesn’t mean they’re getting the downtime that they need to do a good job. Kids or no kids, not being to leave the house or socialise is putting a huge strain on people’s productivity and focus levels. So remember, value the wellbeing of your team, wherever they’re working from, and you should reap the rewards of a more engaged workforce in the process.

Improved staff retention – one day, hopefully in the not too distant future, we’ll be back to some sort of normality and when we are people will be reassessing their ambitions and hopes for their careers and overall lives. In order not to see a vast migration of staff when this does happen, be sure to be a business that actively invests in the mental wellbeing of its staff. If you do, you’ll be far more likely to retain the staff you value for longer, saving the business money and contributing to better business continuity in the long run. Even if current times mean you can’t necessarily offer the promotions or monetary incentives that you’d like to, never underestimate the importance of a sustainable, flexible and supportive working environment when people are making career decisions.

Healthy body, healthy mind – encouraging your staff to keep a healthy mind also encourages a generally healthier approach to life in general. Mental and physical health are like two precious peas in a carefully honed pod, and with coronavirus still dominating the physical wellbeing of the nation, it couldn’t be a more important time to keep both our bodies and our minds in the best shape that they can be. Making employee wellbeing a priority means the health of your workforce will be doubly boosted by a more active and engaged team, win win.

Now, it’s all very well extolling the benefits of a healthy, happy mind but let’s face it, it’s January, it’s a pandemic, the world is pretty spikey right now and there is a lot that you’d be forgiven for being a little glum about. And that’s ok. We can’t be happy all of the time but we can help to be there for those around us when we think they need it. Even if you’re only seeing them on the CC of an email or a Zoom screen every day, be sure to check in on your colleagues and try to spread a little work-wellbeing of your own.

If you’re looking for some support with your next campaign simply drop us a line line today, we’d love to help make your 2021 a bit brighter!