5 ways to improve employee wellbeing this Christmas
Lessons we've learned from our work on employee wellbeing projects.
Wellbeing
Business
by Ben Crisp — Dec 21, 2022
To celebrate the holiday season we’ve put together another Christmas video, sharing things we’ve learned this year as part of our continued work on employee wellbeing projects.
If you want to learn more about our different employee wellbeing tips, we’ve also listed them out below so you can explore all the things that could help make a difference in 2023.
1. Different wellbeing needs
No one size fits all. People are different and so are their needs and this needs to be reflected in wellbeing programmes. What’s more, you might be surprised by what works for some people, and doesn’t for others. Every employee will be attracted to different aspects of a wellbeing programme, from the perks you offer, to the support, to the activities. Whatever it is, you need a programme that can reflect that diversity of needs.
2. Importance of communication
Employees need to know what benefits are actually available. Time and again we found good wellbeing programmes that were under used because employees had no idea what was on offer. Make sure you regularly share the benefits on offer, so employees are aware of what they can access.
3. Changing world
The world of work has changed drastically and that needs to be reflected in wellbeing programmes too. Remote working has opened up a whole new range of possibilities, meaning the standard 9-5 in the office is no longer the norm. We saw companies offering 4-day working weeks, flexi weeks spread over 7 days and employees tuning in from exotic locations. The work life balance has never been more important to employees and employers need to recognise that.
4. The little things matter
Wellbeing is not always about elaborate schemes and the little things can often make the biggest difference to colleagues. As we explored in our recent design consultancy work with Design House, sometimes just saying “well done” and “thank you” can be worth more than any big scheme.
5. Support mental health
It’s been a tough few years globally with people’s mental health taking a real hit. From the pandemic to lock downs to the cost of living crisis, we saw how people really are struggling. Offering wellbeing schemes that can give employees the right support they need, from therapy to meditation subscriptions to a better work/life balance, can make a huge difference in people’s lives. And what could be a better gift this Christmas than that…
