International Week of Happiness at Work, from Monday 25th to 29th September 2023 is recognised around the world as a time for employers of all sizes and across all sectors to reflect on the factors that affect employee satisfaction, productivity and happiness at work as well as encourage conversations around current working environments to identify areas for improvement.
Adrian Matthews, Head of Employee Benefits at MetLife commented: “Employers in every company, no matter what size or sector, have a responsibility to their staff to help them feel productive, valued, and happy at work. Prioritising the happiness of employees not only demonstrates the value placed in individual teams, but also leads to higher workforce engagement, which in turn brings long-term stability and supports workplace mental wellbeing. Implementing not only policies, but healthy practices into the working day will boost morale, improve team culture, and limit staff turnover, particularly in the current high-cost environment.”
1. Encourage workplace wellbeing:
Demonstrate support for workplace wellbeing by introducing a monthly schedule of activities that employees can get involved in. From yoga to breath and mindfulness workshops, these can take place in or outside the office space and encourage team building and wider networking in a relaxed setting. Encourage the formation of communities of similar interests and experiences amongst your employees to allow staff to form networks of support.
2. Encourage a healthy work/life balance:
Whether employees are working from home or in the office, it’s important they take regular breaks and build movement into their daily routine. Whether it’s a brisk walk or quick jog, taking small amounts of exercise regularly can build good habits. And mental breaks are equally important – from sudoku’s to mindfulness, a daily 10-minute habit pays dividends. As an example, at MetLife UK we have recently rolled out the YuLife Health & Wellness app to all employees and have seen great engagement (and healthy competition)! By focusing on incremental improvements throughout the day, it can really help improve an employees’ productivity, motivation and resilience.
3. Encourage use of resources and support when needed:
Use this time to assess the level of workplace wellbeing support and resources on offer. Employers must ensure there is quality staff wellbeing or risk high turnover. Our Re:Me report found that more than half (59%) of employees stated that they would start looking for a new job if their work values weren’t accommodated1. Open and honest communication about mental health and overall wellbeing is key, so training for managers is important. Employee Assistance Programmes (EAPs) can help as well as Manager training, to provide the support necessary to guarantee the happiness of your workforce. At MetLife, Group Life policyholders have 24/7 access to the Virtual Wellbeing hub as part of the EAP service, where staff will find financial, mental, and physical support for each of their individual needs.