Many companies are looking for different ways to promote employee wellbeing at the workplace. As the newer generations become part of the workforce, one of their biggest demands includes employee wellbeing benefits – and for a good reason.

The WHO reported that mental health issues, like depression or anxiety, cost more than US$ 1 trillion annually in lost productivity.

Due to the demands of younger workers and the benefits associated with promoting employee wellbeing at the workplace, more companies are starting to contribute to the wellness of their workers in different ways. Here we mention some of the best initiatives you can take into account for this purpose.

1.   Offer more flexibility

If we evaluate the current state of the world, it’s very unlikely for us to go back to the typical 9-to-5 schedule at any time soon. While some still believe that the traditional workweek is the best approach to work, many big companies have experienced productivity improvements due to the inclusion of flexible work hours.

Flexible work arrangements are one of the starting points to promote employee wellbeing at the workplace. We all have different responsibilities to take care of throughout the day, and being able to work at determinate times – not at a fixed schedule – can help us keep up with everything without affecting our mental wellbeing.

Work flexibility is not only about the schedule. It’s also about where your employees work. Studies have demonstrated that giving more freedom to the employee over their work schedule can help them experience mental health improvements.

2.   Keep the company adequately staffed.

Multiple studies have demonstrated that high or unrealistic work demands have negative impacts on the physical and mental health of the workforce.

When a company doesn’t have enough employees, they end up giving more workload to their current employees. It can be costly to hire more people, but it’s even costlier to deal with the productivity losses associated with mental health issues.

3.   Virtual wellbeing

Most companies have remote workers as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Some organizations have started hiring long-distance workers to take advantage of the new remote work model. However, long-distance work is equally stressed when managed poorly.

Besides flexible work arrangements, you can also invest in virtual wellbeing. For instance, you can offer different team building activities via video conferences, like meditation or yoga. This way, you can keep each member of your team connected while also helping them have a positive mindset.

4.   Encourage work-life balance

It doesn’t matter if an employee is an in-person attendee or a remote worker. They’re both vulnerable to having blurred professional and personal lines. While remote workers tend to overwork themselves, in-person workers may also experience similar effects if they feel their job is too demanding or the company has unrealistic expectations about what they can complete on a daily basis.

Thus, one way you have to promote employee wellbeing at the workplace includes encouraging work-life balance. How, though? You can start by offering flexible schedules, as we’ve mentioned above.