Many organisations recognise the importance of employee wellbeing in the workplace and are increasingly introducing a variety of health and wellbeing programmes. Companies may view this as part of their duty of care to support employees and to meet organisational goals. But how we understand what it means to be well at work is constantly shifting. Notably, it is broadening in terms of scope, covering financial, mental, physical, social, emotional and spiritual realms of employee health and wellbeing. This holistic approach suggests that wellbeing support should cover all areas of working life and beyond. Better wellbeing is, in turn, expected to have an impact on attitudes and behaviours in organisations, for example improvements to employees’ levels of job satisfaction and feeling more positive about their employer. THE WELLBEING CHALLENGE The role of employers in facilitating health and wellbeing for their employees reflects legal requirements, moral arguments and, increasingly, the ‘business case’ – the assumption being that promoting wellbeing will have a mutually positive impact on business performance and will support employees to achieve better health. But this is becoming progressively more challenging. For example, sickness absence, a measure which is commonly used to assess the levels of wellbeing, has notably increased over the past few years. Broader societal changes add to this challenge: financial uncertainty in the cost-of-living crisis, precarious working conditions, growing inequality and feelings of pessimism, and job insecurity all contribute to the deterioration of wellbeing. This, combined with a rise in numbers of people with a disability, chronic health conditions, poor mental health and an ageing workforce, suggests that employee wellbeing is and will continue to be a significant issue. At the same time as these broader changes, organisational demands on employees are growing to improve performance and generate efficiencies considered necessary in today’s competitive environment. This combination of challenges raises a key question: What can we reasonably expect wellbeing efforts to achieve given organisational conditions and the broader contextual framework? A TAILORED APPROACH In our research, we explored the impact of tailored wellbeing interventions across a range of UK organisations. Different organisations were provided with health and wellbeing intervention(s) of their choosing. Prior to implementation, a baseline evaluation of wellbeing was undertaken using interviews and a survey. Approximately a year later, the same measures were used to see if any changes were made. We found that making significant improvements to wellbeing was challenging, as these efforts were frequently taking place against counterproductive conditions which can limit the effects. However, if we think about wellbeing differently, consider the process and context, and recognise key requirements, then efforts to support wellbeing are more likely to be successful. 32 |
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