5 ways to support employee well-being

As a business owner, it is your responsibility to protect employees’ safety, health, and wellness in the workplace. It’s your responsibility to look after both their physical and mental well-being. Communicate with your staff to discover any areas they might have an issue with and how to make improvements to better support employee well-being in the workplace. Here are five ways you can ensure the protection of your staff in coronavirus times, and beyond.

Be available to your workforce

Your staff needs to feel that you are an approachable manager. Take the time to get feedback from individuals, and make sure you really listen and take action. Your employees will feel valued and motivated as a result.

Be professional and keep personal matters confidential in your efforts to support employee well-being. If an employee has an issue with another member of staff, help them file with the EEOC. Make sure you do everything in your responsibility to follow safeguarding guidelines.

Cybersecurity and data protection

Ensure your WiFi network is secure too as you work to protect employees. If you have a “guest” network, make sure you regularly change the password.

Be careful when using public networks, and avoid sharing sensitive data. Use a virtual private network (VPN) as an extra precaution.

It’s a good idea to keep all your devices and hardware up to date as well. Newer models will be more compatible with software updates and are automatically protected by more advanced security software. Learn more about how to protect your tech.

Support employee well-being with social distancing and hygiene rules

During these novel coronavirus times, implement new hygiene measures for everyone’s safety, health, and well-being in the workplace. Provide hand sanitizing units and antibacterial wipe dispensers in areas around the building.

Furthermore, train your staff in best practices to make them feel as comfortable on the job. At the same time, you’re helping to protect employees from the virus. That can go far in helping improve employee well-being.

In bigger offices, consider creating one-way walkways to minimize contact. Think about the positioning of desks and how big the spaces are between them too.

Could two people pass between desk areas and still maintain a safe distance? Here are some examples of safe office plans.

Provide ergonomic working conditions

Properly set up ergonomic workstations if you have not already done so. That is an important way to support employee well-being.

It is important for employees’ well-being and health as you don’t want them miserable and uncomfortable. It’s a health and safety requirement to make sure your staff is provided with furniture with proper support.

If necessary, replace chairs, desks, and keyboards with more ergonomic options. Keep monitors at the appropriate distance from where they sit and at eye level.

Doing so will greatly reduce the risk of repetitive strain injury and other related health problems. That means greater employee satisfaction and fewer sick days taken throughout the year. They will appreciate your efforts to protect employees from injuries – It shows you care!

Support employee well-being by boosting mental health awareness

Even with certain campaigns increasing awareness, many people still feel supervisors overlook their mental health. Stress at work is often the cause as well. Staff may feel excluded and as though they’re not getting adequate employee protection.

Tackle this problem is by giving higher members of staff sufficient training to deal with mental health issues. There are specific courses designed for managers, so it might be worth investing in these resources.

In conclusion, it’s integral to make employee health and wellness in the workplace a top priority. Only then can you fully protect workers, giving them a happy and healthy working environment. For further reading on supporting employees, read this guide on helping your team feel valued.