Workplace wellness is no longer the preserve of the largest employers who lavish premium health and wellbeing benefits on their staff.
Small business owners are discovering that looking after the physical and mental wellbeing of their employees pays dividends for their business, and doesn’t have to cost the earth.
Healthier employees are more likely to feel happy and more motivated. That translates to lower levels of sickness absence and staff turnover, and higher levels of engagement and productivity.
Sarah Clarke, head of engagement at Simply Business, says: “We believe that our work life should actually nourish our personal life and vice versa.” Businesses will have “happier, healthier, more engaged” teams if employees’ work and personal life “co-exist seamlessly and positively”, she adds.
“Consult with your staff to find out what they think will be most useful,” says Dr Jill Miller, a research adviser for the CIPD. “The key is to offer a range of things that will appeal to different groups within the workforce. So, while some people may find exercise most useful and enjoyable, others may prefer to focus on healthy eating.”
- Fitness and nutrition
Executive search firm Stott and May provides a number of wellness perks for their 40 employees. For example, they are all offered pedometers so that they can monitor their fitness inside or away from the workplace, with some adding an element of friendly competition. The office also has a smoothie maker, so staff can make healthy drinks using the fresh fruit and veg that are delivered every day.
CEO Stephen Stott says: “I’m always open to ideas and looking for new and creative ways to engage the staff. For example, we have an ex-Team GB cyclist working in the London office and we’re now organising a cycle event in the Alps next year.”
Stott estimates they spend around £80 a week on fruit and veg for the London office, and £125 per employee per month on wellbeing and staff incentives.
He says: “Wellbeing incentives don’t have to be expensive, but they are completely worth the investment because you can’t run a successful business without a happy, healthy and motivated workforce.”
At Simply Business, employees are also offered a range of fitness and wellbeing perks. Clarke says: “We run free on site yoga and pilates classes in both our offices, offer mindfulness workshops, provide fresh fruit and a healthy breakfast for all employees, organise on site flu jabs and subsidised massages, and we are looking into providing an in house concierge service to take the stress out of those day-to-day life admin tasks.”
2. Mindfulness and mobility
Being based in a semi-rural location has its advantages, as the ten staff members at PR agency Neo have discovered. They are encouraged to take a break from sitting at their desk every hour to walk Neo, the office dog, either individually or in groups, in the surrounding Buckinghamshire countryside.
Managing director Ashley Carr says: “Not only does it get the blood circulating, and keep everyone active and feeling refreshed, it also energises your brain and can ease the stress of working in an office environment.
“Studies have shown that dogs can have a calming effect on people, so having Neo in the office is an advantage both for our physical and mental wellbeing. We definitely make the most out of what we have around us and I would encourage other small businesses to do the same.”
3. Office design
Workplace surroundings can have a huge impact on employee wellbeing and performance, so it is important to create an environment that is conducive to work.
Inspired by new research in recent years, Anglo/French software firm KDS has adapted its office design. Their spacious workspace now includes a break out space for relaxing, listening to music, and sharing ideas, and employees can work from anywhere in the building, including the roof-top garden.
Executive vice president of operations Roxana Bressy says: “Caring and wellbeing are part of our company culture. Beyond a pleasant physical environment, we also try to create a sense of belonging by bringing the whole team together regularly to celebrate product development and business successes.”
The results speak for themselves. Three years ago staff turnover was at a crisis-level 33%; today it is just 5.7%. Although several factors have contributed to the improved figures, the company believes that an increased focus on wellbeing has had a significant impact.
4. Laughter as a tonic
Laughter is said to be good for the soul, but mind and body can also benefit. Frederika Roberts, co-founder of the RWS (Resilience Wellbeing Success) Programme says: “Companies could hold laughter yoga sessions at lunchtime or organise mini sessions before staff meetings. It doesn’t cost much to send one or two members of staff on a two-day official training course to become a certified laughter yoga leader.”
5. Trust and freedom of choice
Tech company Potato has a number of initiatives aimed at supporting employee wellbeing, and while some incur a financial cost, such as company holidays or subsidised meals, the most significant initiatives cost little or nothing to implement.
They include on site sleep pod facilities, which cater for those people who function best after an afternoon nap, and no fixed working hours. The company operates what it calls ‘maker hours’, the number of hours employees choose to work, which means that people can adjust their workload to the times of day that they feel most productive.
The aim is to make the most of employees’ natural ways of working rather than imposing generic management practices on them.
The only ‘cost’ in implementing these policies is for business leaders to trust their teams, but that should come easily if the hiring process is a sound one, says co-founder and chief of staff Luke Guttridge.
“A positive employee working experience translates to greater creativity and productivity, and these are crucial attributes to bring to the company’s projects,” he says.
As a small business owner, your people are your business, so investing in their wellbeing makes good business sense as well as being the right thing to do, says Miller.
She adds: “The benefits go far beyond simply lowering sickness absence. Creating a culture in which people feel their employer cares about their wellbeing has a positive effect on them wanting to go the extra mile at work, and feeling engaged with your company.”
This advertisement feature is paid for and produced to a brief agreed with Simply Business, the UK’s biggest business and landlord insurance provider, and sponsor of the supporting business growth hub.
