Workplace well-being activities have become more essential than ever, especially as job burnout is now a prevalent factor in resignations across America.
A 2020 report from Gallup, an analytics firm, revealed that 74% of employees have experienced symptoms of job burnout. These symptoms stem from various factors, including excessive workloads and poor management practices.
No matter the cause, these stress-induced burnout symptoms frequently result in absenteeism. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that absenteeism costs American businesses over $225 billion each year in lost productivity.
One way to protect your company from absenteeism-related productivity losses is to implement a corporate wellness program that promotes workplace well-being for your employees.
But what is workplace well-being? And what are concrete examples of health and workplace well-being activities that you can adopt for your business?
Read on for our comprehensive guide.
What is Workplace Well-Being?
Gallup defines workplace well-being as “you like what you do at work every day.” Labor organizations have taken this a step further with more in-depth definitions.
According to the International Labor Organization (ILO), workplace well-being encompasses all elements of an employee’s working life.
These elements could include:
- The overall quality of the workplace
- The safety of the workplace
- The working environment
- How the employee feels about his or her job
- The climate at the workplace
- The organization’s hierarchy and management
The ILO further states that for employees to achieve optimal workplace well-being, they must be physically and mentally healthy. They must also feel safe, satisfied, and engaged as they work.
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Importance of Workplace Well-Being Activities
The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) offers a detailed outline of what constitutes workplace well-being. According to the organization, workplace well-being involves:
Good Health
- Physical health
- Mental health
- Physical safety
Quality of Work
- Good work environment
- Autonomy
- Demands of the job
- People management policies
- Open communication
Sound Values and Principles
- Standards of ethics
- Diversity / Inclusion
- Leadership
Healthy Social Dynamics
- Relationships with colleagues or with the team
- Involvement in team activities
Room for Personal Growth
- Career development or enrichment
- Emotional bonding with the team
- New skills training
- Creativity
Quality of Lifestyle Choices
- Diet choices
- Physical activity choices
Financial Well-Being
- Appropriate salary
- Benefits
- Employee financial assistance programs
- Retirement planning
Threats to Workplace Well-Being
Many factors may threaten an employee’s well-being. Let’s look at some of them:
Burnout due to excessive workload. Workloads can become overwhelming when a company is understaffed. Additionally, work stress can arise from poorly set deadlines due to inadequate planning or delegation by management. It’s no surprise that burnout occurs when employees are tasked with more than one person can realistically manage.
Financial stress. This specific type of stress is marked by feelings of worry or anxiety over money, expenses, or growing debts. Financial stress can also result in depression, insomnia, weight fluctuations, feelings of shame, social isolation, and extreme frugality.
Social isolation. This refers to a lack of friendships or social ties, also known as workplace loneliness. This may be caused by factors such as:
- working in a team of one,
- workstations that limit or discourage face-to-face interactions,
- odd working schedules,
- large age gaps between team members,
- and in some cases, forced exclusion.
Bad working conditions. One frequent demotivator for employees is poor workplace conditions. Numerous examples exist, such as improper space utilization in the office, which can lead to discomfort, feelings of claustrophobia, and a lack of privacy.
Employees might also face challenges like non-ergonomic office furniture, excessively noisy work environments, inadequate lighting, offices that are too cold or too hot, unpleasant odors, or unclean facilities.
Poor physical or mental health. Physical and mental health are essential components of workplace well-being. Employees who are not in good physical or mental condition will naturally experience compromised well-being. Sometimes the process is reversed—stress or dissatisfaction at work can negatively impact employees who are otherwise physically and mentally healthy.
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The Difference Between Well-Being and Wellness
You may be wondering: Is well-being the same as wellness? The two terms are often used interchangeably, especially in holistic corporate wellness programs.
But if you want to dig deeper, it pays to know the subtle differences between the two:
| WELL-BEING | WELLNESS |
| Refers to the state of mind of the person, mainly revolving around their mental and emotional state, but not discounting their physical health | Refers to the combination of behaviors and habits that promote a healthy life |
| Focuses on attaining both health and happiness or contentment | Focuses on attaining sound physical health |
| You can achieve optimum wellness through exercise and diet, but if you’re not happy, your well-being suffers | Wellness is an integral part of a person’s overall well-being |
Employee wellness is often described as a set of behaviors or habits to adopt for a healthier life. These behaviors and habits include regular exercise, eating a balanced diet, and taking care of one’s mental health.
Employee well-being, however, is not just limited to the healthy habits a person develops while they are working. It also encompasses their overall mental and emotional state regarding their work. Are they happy with their job? Do they feel like they belong? Do they feel like their work is valued?
Maintaining both physical and mental health is crucial for employees. Regular exercise, a balanced diet, and meditation classes are excellent ways to support overall wellness. However, if employees are unhappy with their job or feel disconnected from colleagues, their well-being can suffer significantly.
Job satisfaction and a sense of connection in the workplace are essential for employee well-being. Without these, even the healthiest habits can’t fully ensure their well-being.
How can employees achieve optimal workplace well-being? The key lies in comprehensive corporate wellness programs that promote and integrate workplace well-being activities.
In the sections below, we will explore various health and well-being activities tailored for the workplace.
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Workplace Well-Being Activities for General Health
As mentioned earlier, physical health plays a vital role in achieving workplace well-being for employees. Here are great examples of health and well-being activities that you can conduct for your team.
1. Employee Biometric Screenings
Also known as biometric testing, biometric screenings refer to quick health screenings that typically include bloodwork and important body metrics, such as:
- Blood cholesterol
- Blood pressure (BP)
- Blood sugar
- Body mass index (BMI)
- Height
- Weight
After gathering data, the next step is to generate risk scores. Those with elevated health risks are then encouraged to develop healthier physical habits.
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Advantages of Employee Biometric Screenings:
- They can help detect health risks early, especially for those in danger of developing diabetes, hypertension, or hypercholesterolemia in the future.
- They can provide baseline data on the overall health of the company’s employees. This is the first step in developing active programs that will benefit everyone’s physical well-being.
- They inform employees of their health standing and motivate them to be more proactive in staying healthy.
2. Fitness Sessions
Fitness sessions are great examples of workplace well-being activities that just about anyone can participate in.
You can do fitness sessions in your office or set up virtual classes to accommodate your employees working from home.
Advantages of Fitness Sessions:
- They can be good monotony breakers that encourage employees to be active instead of just sitting in front of the computer all day.
- They can be effective energizers and can even help stimulate the mind.
- They can serve as a team bonding activity and promote social interaction for everyone in your office.
Some fitness sessions you can easily do inside the office include stretching, dance, chair, tai chi, or yoga classes.
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Workplace Well-Being Activities for Reducing Stress at Work
There are some health and well-being activities that are designed to prevent or relieve stress at work.
Why is stress management important in the workplace? First and foremost, employees who work under manageable stress levels are more productive. Secondly, happy and relaxed workers create a working environment that is much more conducive to collaboration and creativity.
Listed below are great examples of stress-relieving workplace well-being activities.
1. Free Chair Massages
You can hire a massage therapist to perform free chair massages for your employees. All you need to do is dedicate a space inside the office that could serve as your chair massage corner. It’s bound to be a favorite of all your workplace well-being activities.
Depending on your budget, you can have chair massage sessions once or twice a month. Encourage your employees to take advantage of this offer whenever they can—it may surprise them to learn how much a simple massage can relieve stress!
Advantages of Free Chair Massages:
- They give employees something to look forward to after a long day at work or during their break.
- They help relieve muscle tension and even headaches. A professional massage can do wonders for your physical well-being.
- They can promote better sleep, especially for those who can get a massage soon before going home. The relaxation period after finishing work helps ease the mind for a smooth transition into bedtime.
2. Acts of Kindness
You can establish a program wherein your employees can volunteer for once-a-week acts of kindness sessions. One way to do this is to have all participants pick a recipient in secret (or you can hold a lottery) and then let them perform acts of kindness on a certain day or throughout the week.
Here are some simple yet meaningful examples of acts of kindness in the office:
- Making coffee or tea
- Leaving a free snack or drink on the recipient’s workstation
- Free lunch
- Helping out on a task
- Flowers
- A well-thought-out appreciation email
Advantages of Acts of Kindness:
- They create new friendships among colleagues, contributing to overall team camaraderie.
- They can boost an employee’s self-esteem, not only as the recipient of the gift but also as the giver.
- Outward expressions of appreciation can motivate employees to perform well at work.
3. Meetings Outside the Office
Make meetings more exciting and engaging by holding them outside the office. You can pick a park near your office building for a walking meeting. Or you can have a brunch meeting at a nearby restaurant—paid for by the company, of course. That’s certain to be an employee favorite of your workplace well-being activities.
Just make sure to schedule your outdoor excursions when the weather is fine. Also, we recommend meeting locations that do not have too many distractions.
Advantages of Meetings Outside the Office:
- They can allow your employees to get some fresh air or a dose of sunshine in the middle of a workday.
- They can stave off boredom. Employees might even look forward to the meetings when they are set beyond the walls of your offices and conference rooms.
- Walking meetings can encourage employees to get some exercise, even if it is just for a few minutes out in the nearby park.
4. Arts and Crafts Station (a company favorite of workplace well-being activities)
Help alleviate stress in the office by setting up an arts and crafts station. It does not have to be a kitted-out art studio; a quiet corner in the office and a few simple craft kits will do.
If you have the resources to set up a mini-studio, you can encourage artistic activities like drawing, adult coloring books, painting, or sculpting.
Advantages of an Arts & Crafts Station:
- It provides a creative outlet that can also encourage problem-solving among your employees.
- It can help foster more collaborative relationships and interactions among employees.
- It encourages a fun, pressure-free, creative endeavor that anyone can participate in at their leisure. Employees can have fun and relax without worrying about deadlines.
5. Free Coffee Gift Card Giveaways
Every once in a while, give away gift certificates from a local coffee shop. Make sure to include a non-coffee option for those who do not drink coffee.
You can also encourage more employee interactions by having two people pair up to redeem a coffee shop gift certificate.
Advantages of Free Coffee:
- Drinking coffee before beginning a computer-based office task can lead to a productive, pain-relieving experience.
- Caffeine can help sharpen your employees’ focus and response time.
- Casual conversations over free coffee can have enormous social interaction and team-building benefits for employees.
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Workplace Well-Being Activities for Improving Mental Health
Various workplace well-being activities can be used to great effect to promote mental health.
These simple activities can work wonders for individuals and encourage collective participation, allowing employees to connect with others.
Simple activities can work wonders for individuals and encourage collective participation, allowing employees to connect with others.
1. Midweek Well-Being Awareness Day
Pick a day in the middle of the week to conduct a mental health wellness challenge, a mental health seminar, or even a simple coaching session.
You can also take the opportunity to start building a library of workplace well-being-related information inside the office. Just make sure that it is easily accessible for everyone in your company.
Advantages of Midweek Well-Being Awareness Day:
- It educates your employees about why workplace well-being is essential, and, more importantly, how they can achieve it.
- It serves as a weekly reminder that your company is willing to extend assistance to anyone dealing with well-being issues like burnout, financial stress, or social isolation.
- It raises awareness about common mental health issues that employees can face.
2. Mindfulness and Meditation Sessions
Mindfulness refers to the process of being mindful of whatever you are doing or feeling. As for meditation, it is the act of actively calming your mind and body.
You can organize mindfulness or meditation sessions in your office or through online means. You can hire an instructor or use an app to guide the sessions.
Advantages of Mindfulness and Meditation Sessions:
- They allow employees to get relief from stress and calm themselves after dealing with high-pressure situations in the office.
- Mindfulness promotes engagement among employees, which can contribute to better productivity.
- Because it calms and clears the mind, meditation can help hone employees’ decision-making abilities.
RELATED: 10 Tips to Implement Mindfulness in the Workplace
3. Financial Wellness Workshops (rare but more effective of workplace well-being activities)
Financial stress can be very challenging to deal with. And with the economic uncertainty brought on by COVID-19, millions of people have been suffering from financial stress in the last few years.
Help ease the financial stress experienced by your employees by organizing financial wellness workshops. You can invite financial experts as guest speakers to talk about:
- Proper budget planning
- Debt management
- Savings
Advantages of Financial Wellness Workshops:
- They can prevent employees from experiencing financial stress.
- They can educate employees about the best ways to develop good financial habits.
- When employees don’t worry about financial issues, they can focus their energy on productivity at work.
4. Health and Well-Being Emails
Regularly send email blasts to your employees about health and well-being topics. It is always a good idea to compile information from credible sources.
Use this opportunity to remind your employees that you have set up a library of resources that they can access anytime.
Advantages of Health and Well-Being Emails:
- Your employees will always have a reminder in their inbox to consider their workplace well-being.
- You can include links or contact information for your employee assistance program. This way, your employees can easily reach out for help when dealing with burnout or other workplace well-being issues.
Recap on Workplace Well-Being Activities
When you actively plan and implement workplace well-being activities, your employees will be physically and mentally healthy, and they will be happy, productive, and satisfied members of your organization.
If you want to implement a corporate wellness program in your company, make sure to incorporate regular, long-term workplace well-being activities into the mix. Don’t know where to start in creating a wellness program? Here at WellSteps we can help you do just that. Schedule a Free Demo with a member of our team and discover how you can skyrocket your team’s productivity.