Investing in employee wellbeing can lead to better employee productivity, engagement and performance.

Many initiatives fall short as they stand alone and have no direction. Wellbeing needs to be integrated and embedded in the company’s culture, leadership and people management. Wellbeing Strategy starts with gathering to inform the wellbeing vision for your organisation.

You will need to:-

  • Gather baseline data (such as absence figures, PMI claims, Attrition/retention rates)
  • Engage your stakeholders
  • Set up a Wellbeing group
  • Survey your staff & consider focus groups
  • Analyse this information and build your business case for the Board

There is a lot involved in preparing your workplace wellbeing strategy

Gather data

  • Sickness absence data & reasons for absence
  • Top reasons for private medical claims
  • Income protection insurance
  • Identification of health risks resulting from work activities
  • Accident statistics
  • Employee Assistance Programme usage reports
  • Previous health check data

Gather employee feedback

  • Employee survey results
  • Focus groups
  • Team meetings
  • Forum groups
  • Wellbeing interest survey

Build the picture

  • Compare lost days per person per year with national average
  • Work out the direct cost of absence per year
  • What are the key reasons employees are taking time off work i.e. musculoskeletal, mental health, minor illness
  • Use measures such as Bradford Factor Calculation to put a figure on the disruptiveness of current employee absence
  • What is the current impact of PMI claims on your annual premiums?
  • How frequently and for what reasons is your EAP being used?

Present to the Board

Once you have your strategy developed, it is important that this is shared with employees and leaders to increase understanding and achieve good buy-in. Employees also need to understand the important role that they play in helping to sustain the wellbeing programme because without their participation there is little point in putting effort into running initiatives.

  • Share the evidence
  • Explain the priorities
  • Define responsibilities
  • Set the expectations (KPIs, performance measurements, participation rates)
  • Commit to the programme

Useful resources and reading about Wellbeing Strategy

CIPD Factsheets

Stevenson Farmer Report – Thriving At work

Guide to being a Mental Health First Aider

Line Manager Guide by MHFA