Employee well-being continues to be a crucial topic of discussion in many organisations. The rise in the demand for employers to provide better working environments to support employee well-being in recent years has caused the introduction of various efforts. Providing programmes, amenities and facilities within the workplace in hopes of boosting morale and improving mental health are some of the ways employers have contributed to employee wellbeing.
Factors that worsen employee well-being, such as stress, depression and anxiety are experienced by many individuals. In the UK, according to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) in a 2021/22 report, 51% of work-related ill health cases are caused by stress, depression or anxiety.
Offices have introduced table tennis, free snacks, breakfast bars and free coffee. Others have implemented policies to improve mental health, such as flexible working. These efforts were done with the aim that employee well-being will improve, but it should not end there.
How can it be determined that any of these efforts have improved employee well-being?
In this article, we will discuss how organisations can measure and benchmark employee well-being. With existing and planned efforts to improve employee wellbeing, organisations should take part in measuring employee wellbeing to know the efficacy and progress.
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Employee Wellbeing
The pursuit of improving employee well-being has become more prevalent in recent years. The pandemic has caused a rise in awareness and the need for mental health, with more employees seeking better work environments to sustain their well-being. This increased focus on mental health has driven employers to create tailored support for the needs of individuals, as well as provide more support for remote workers.
A survey report by CIPD in 2021 has found that employee well-being continues to become a priority for many corporations. Within this report, 75% of the respondents believe that management or senior leaders at their organisation have employee well-being as part of their agenda. Overall, this report has found that health and well-being have seen to increase in the priority list of many organisations.
How to Measure Employee Wellbeing
- Conduct Wellbeing Surveys
To gain insight into employee wellbeing, the best starting point is to conduct surveys to understand the current condition of employees. This provides the organisation with information on how employees are feeling and helps understand specific issues – such as mental health. The findings of the survey can then be used as a base to decide on strategies and programmes to implement.
- Referring to HR Data
To track employee well-being, organisations can refer to HR data to better understand the situation. Information such as absences, workload and work output and employee retention can help employers understand where to improve further.
- Creating a Health and Supportive Culture
Insights on employee well-being require the willingness of employees to speak their minds and talk about their feeling comfortably. Organisations should encourage conversations on well-being and be open to feedback from their employees.
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Wellbeing Benchmarks
Having measures in place to strive for employee well-being, organisations can refer to various benchmark data and participate in collaborative efforts with other institutions to compare efforts and efficacies. What Works Wellbeing has provided an example of employee well-being benchmarks.
In terms of benchmarks for employee wellbeing, categories of interest include:
- Life satisfaction
- Worthwhileness
- Happiness
- Anxiety
- Job satisfaction
- Overall physical and mental health
- Support from management
- Support from colleagues
- Fulfilment
Knowing these measurements and benchmarks, organisations can then reflect the current state of their employee well-being with existing data. It is crucial to see the progression of employee well-being in order to improve it. With introducing new policies, activities or even facilities, employers should keep track of how it is affecting employee wellbeing.