What Improves Well-Being At Work?
In recognition of “May is Mental Health Month” we would like to take a look at mental “well-being at work.” Not necessarily mental disorders and how to address them, but the overall well-being of the workplace and its individual workers. Well-being at work is more than just physical wellness and following a program to reduce insurance costs. The gym memberships, the occasional healthy lunch provided by an employer are all nice, but it’s more than that. It is the whole organization and the whole person. Research released by Gallup states that one of the reasons workplace well-being programs do not succeed is because they are “solely focused on the physical well-being” and not addressing the other aspects of well-being.
Gallup and Healthways have developed a well-being model with these five key elements:
- Purpose: liking what you do each day and being motivated to achieve your goals
- Social: having supportive relationships and love in your life
- Financial: managing your economic life to reduce stress and increase security
- Community: liking where you live, feeling safe, and having pride in your community
- Physical: having good health and enough energy to get things done daily
“The overwhelming majority of well-being programs are focused on physical wellness, but few dedicate time or energy to other key elements of employee well-being. This leaves a substantial gap between what workplaces currently gain from their well-being programs and the gains they could achieve if they broadened their approach.”
Here is where a pro-active and robust Employee Assistance Program can help with the other areas of well-being. An effective EAP will “fill that gap.” This is what we do! We consult with managers and supervisors on the daily dealings with difficult employees and staff morale. We also counsel the employees on problems at work, their motivation to achieve goals, build and maintain supportive relationships, manage their finances. We are not just there for the problem employee, but also to help bring out the best in your top performers.
A well-being program in a workplace without the EAP it is like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich without the peanut butter. It doesn’t have the “glue” to hold it together and there is no protein to help you get you through the day! Not to mention that it is hard to handle and very messy.
What is the focus of your wellness program? Is it only on the physical well-being of the employee or do you have avenues to help address the other aspects of well-being?
