Having delivered employee wellbeing programmes for the past 12 years, we know a thing or two about delivering a wellbeing programme that packs a punch. No longer a ‘nice to have’, a relevant, engaging wellbeing programme is a necessity for every organisation, regardless of size or stature. Here we share some of our learnings from the past 12 years for a truly successful employee wellbeing programme.
1) Make it Holistic
We firmly believe in a 360 degree approach to wellbeing that encompasses physical, emotional, mental, social and financial wellbeing. It’s music to our ears when clients share their desire to have a multi-strand approach to wellbeing. This often manifests as various ‘pillars’ that make up a wellbeing programme, such as these below.
Not everyone will want to do yoga, or have a massage. So, offering a wellbeing programme rich in variety and content will attract a wider audience of employees keen to get involved. If you’re unsure what that looks like, here’s an example of a 6 month employee wellbeing programme we delivered for a financial client:
An 8 week block of Office Yoga, followed by 8 weeks of Pilates, then 8 weeks of HIIT, then repeated again.
Monthly in-office Massage
Monthly workshops: Sleep School, Nutrition, Financial Wellbeing, Digital Wellbeing, Nurturing Neurodiversity at Work, Banishing Imposter Syndrome.
Mental Health Training for all employees and specialised Mental Health for Managers training for anyone in a line manager or senior management position.
2) Make it Hybrid
For the majority of our clients, remote working is here to stay. So it’s vital employees working from home don’t miss out. If your IT set-up allows, we suggest streaming any in-office wellbeing sessions to those working from home. We also offer our wellbeing workshops and classes to be recorded, allowing any colleagues who missed out to catch up at a time that suits them.
We also find some of our wellbeing sessions, such as financial wellbeing and some mental health workshops actually generate more conversation, openness and vulnerability when audiences are joining us online rather than in a room alongside others. We’ve been blown over by some of the candid sharing participants have contributed to our online webinars.
3) Ask, Ask and Ask some more
The person charged with planning an employee wellbeing programme isn’t always going to know exactly what their workforce want. So it’s essential to be in a constant dialogue with your colleagues, asking them what they want from their wellbeing programme. Use surveys, feedback forms, anonymous suggestion boxes and appraisals to ask staff what wellbeing initiatives they’d like to see. Then committ to regular pulse checks with your employees to get an idea of how your wellness initiatives are being received. Tweak and tailor your programme accordingly and you’ll soon be running a successful wellbeing programme that’s the envy of your competitors.
4) Get Senior Management on board
Getting support from senior leadership is a key component for a successful employee wellbeing programme. Senior figures need to be shown supporting, promoting and personally getting involved in the wellbeing initiatives on offer. Not only does this set the precedent for younger generations in the workplace prioritising their wellbeing, it proves the value and importance of wellbeing on the business agenda.
Also, don’t neglect the wellbeing of the senior managers themselves. 78% of line managers have yet to receive any form of training on mental health at work . See our Mental Health for Managers training here.
5) Integrate wellbeing in to every aspect of your business
Avoid your employee wellbeing programme appearing like a gratuitous add-on by incorporating wellbeing in to every area of your business. Here are a few ideas:
- Align wellbeing to your company and employee goals by setting measurable, wellbeing related objectives and KPIs.
- Incorporate wellbeing into your on-boarding process
- Start each meeting with a stretch or a minute of mindful breathing
- Dedicate time in each large company meeting to a wellbeing topic.
- Include workplace wellbeing content in your internal comms, company newsletter and intranet.
- Have walking meetings and an inspiring workspace with greenery and daylight.
To find out more about how Stretching the City can help deliver an employee wellbeing programme that packs a punch, get in touch today.
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