Depending on where in the world you live, you might spend anywhere from 1,300-2,400 hours per year (or more!) at work - that adds up to more than three solid months.
That’s why workplace well-being is so important - and the concept of workplace well-being might be as old as the concept of work itself.
In Make Work Healthy, John Ryan and I explore its history and origins, from Aristotle’s philosophy of “a good and virtuous life” to workplace norms established in 16th-century Spain and Italy, through the impacts of the Industrial Revolution on workplace health and safety to post-World War developments that laid the groundwork for how we view work today.
We’ve made a lot of progress over the course of history, but we’re still facing challenges.
Why is work not working for most people? From the reverberating impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic to the stress created by micromanaging bosses and workplace politics, to the pressure of “rise and grind” culture and not feeling like they can bring their whole selves to work, employees are navigating negative environments that have consequences for individual, team, and organizational health.
How can we fix it? By embedding workplace well-being as a central principle in your organization. Studies show there are myriad benefits to this approach. Let’s explore three of them.
Improve employee engagement and productivity
A workplace culture focused on well-being means a lot of things. It means taking a holistic approach to the physical, emotional, and psychological aspects of well-being. When all of these facets are taken into account and your organization implements programs, policies, and practices that connect to these areas, employees are more likely to feel engaged, inspired, and motivated to do their best work.
Increase trust in leadership
More than ever, employees are looking for leaders who model positive behaviors and align with their own values. In organizations where well-being is core to the strategy and leaders serve as role models of positive behavior who walk the talk, employees experience increased levels of trust.
An example of this is empathy. While long considered a “soft skill,” empathy and emotional intelligence are incredibly important in building connections and sustaining high-trust relationships. A study by Catalyst found that leaders who display empathy help employees be more innovative and stay longer at their jobs.
Decrease operating costs
Unhealthy workplaces are expensive. There are countless whitepapers and analyses that show that negative workplaces lead to high turnover, increased healthcare costs, and loss of productivity.
The reverse is equally true. Findings by Gallup show that when employees are in a healthy environment and are highly engaged, organizations experience a 23% increase in profitability and an 18% decrease in turnover.
Learn more practical tips for how you can create a healthier workplace in Make Work Healthy.