A spotlight on employee wellbeing best practices: mental health awareness week 2024.

With this year’s Mental Health Awareness week theme being ‘Movement: Moving more for our mental health.’, at Randstad we have been hosting a series of activities and initiatives to promote wellbeing and moments for movement.

From online pilates sessions to insightful webinars and sunflower planting competitions, our employee network group members are pulling out all the stops to encourage teammates to prioritise their health, wellbeing, and happiness.

The week also presents the perfect opportunity to take time to recognise the importance of creating or revising employee wellbeing programmes.

Creating an employee wellbeing programme: best practices.

Almost half (49%) of UK workers we surveyed last year were considering leaving, or said that they would like to leave their profession within the next 12 months due to stress and/or mental health conditions, highlighting how imperative it is for employers to address these issues. 

Reinforcing this concern, additional studies show that 90% of employers believe employee wellness programmes can help boost on-the-job performance and productivity. When employees can improve their overall wellbeing, it can improve their focus, stamina and mood. Wellbeing can also boost the employees' physical and mental health, which results in fewer trips to the doctor and reduced absenteeism and healthcare costs for organisations. 

At a time when company leaders are cautious about new investments, it’s important to be aware of the financial return on investing in wellbeing for employees.

“The Prince’s Responsible Business Network, has today published new research by McKinsey Health Institute revealing that the UK economic value of improved employee wellbeing could be between £130-370 billion per year or 6-17% of the UK’s Gross Domestic Product. [2] This is the equivalent of £4,000-£12,000 per UK employee.” (BITC)

Studies show that an effective employee wellness programme can improve productivity by 23%, reduce absenteeism by 27% and boost employee engagement by 43%.

Employee recognition and overall wellbeing

Workers are 91% more likely to be successful in their work and personal life if they receive adequate levels of recognition. Considering the connection between employee wellbeing and recognition in the workplace, employers must take steps to coordinate these two programmes. The good news is that when employee recognition and workplace wellness programmes go hand-in-hand, it can help to reduce worker burnout, increase employee engagement and help your employees strengthen relationships in both their work and personal lives.

Work-life balance

According to our 2024 Randstad Workmonitor research, 60% of the UK workforce agree that maintaining a healthy work-life balance is a key factor when looking for a job. At Randstad, we understand this growing demand and take active steps to help our workers maintain a healthy balance.

For instance, we proudly offer our workers several benefits to help them maintain a healthy work-life balance, including hybrid working, flexible hours, PTO for birthdays and moving home plus much more.

Diversity and inclusion

Building a diverse and inclusive workplace, as we know, allows us to build a more agile, innovative and productive workforce. In fact, we strive to build an effective culture of diversity and inclusion by making it a prime focus at every stage of the employee journey. The results show that our efforts are working.

Studies show that only 32% of senior management positions worldwide are held by women. At Randstad we make women an equal part of our workforce at all levels. For instance, here in the UK, women represent 53% of our Randstad UK (RUK) workforce, with 47% of management roles filled by women, and all are led by our female CEO. Over half of our promotions were awarded to women in our business.

Employee wellness programme: best practices

Research underscores a concerning trend: while 80% of employers rank employee wellness as a top priority, a staggering 90% of employees perceive a decline in their work life quality. 

Addressing this dissonance demands a proactive approach. Explore these comprehensive best practices:

Evaluate the current state of your workers' wellbeing

1. Begin by evaluating both the overall wellbeing landscape in your industry and the specific needs of your workforce. This entails conducting thorough surveys, one-on-one interviews, and exit interviews. Such assessments illuminate existing issues and emerging trends, guiding the development of tailored wellness initiatives.

Build an easy-to-use programme

1. Acknowledging that 68% of employers struggle with underutilisation of wellness programmes due to complexity, it's imperative to streamline accessibility. Simplify communication channels, ensure consistency in programme delivery, and leverage digital tools to facilitate easy access to resources and support.

Secure a leadership buy-in

1. Securing unequivocal support from top-level stakeholders, including the C-suite and board members, is pivotal. Enlighten them about the tangible benefits of prioritising employee wellbeing, emphasising its impact on retention rates, productivity levels, and overall workplace morale.

Invest in management training

1. Recognise that successful wellness programmes are not solely HR initiatives but company-wide endeavours. Equip leaders at all levels with comprehensive training to ensure they understand the intricacies of the programme and can effectively champion it within their teams. This investment in management training fosters a culture where employees feel supported in utilising available resources to enhance their wellbeing.