A Look at Employee Wellbeing and

Workplace Environment:

Generating Higher Productivity through

Simple Initiatives

Out of all our waking hours in the day, half are spent on the job. Work is undisputedly an essential and meaningful part of most adult lives. What happens at work has the potential to affect not only economic outcomes, but life satisfaction and wellbeing.

By Jordan Rothwell, Ahmed Syed, Anagh Trivedi

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Wellbeing in the workplace can

encapsulate physical health, mental health,

and social health. These three pillars can directly

affect worker productivity, which is the core of profit making. Low productivity leads to low output which

subsequently leads to a failed company. If a worker is satisfied and has a high level of wellbeing, then they will

produce value for the company and contribute to business growth. Businesses that focus on high returns with no regard for worker

well being contribute to the misfortune of overworked, overstressed, and unhappy

employees.

With the changing culture of the workforce, implementing programs and initiatives that

put an emphasis on promoting well being will

lead to higher productivity and help retain motivated

and valuable employees for a company.

Exercise is proven to help reduce stress because of the endorphins it releases to the brain. Lack of exercise can lead to physical ailments as well as mental ailments which lower the quantity and quality of work- hurting the profits of the business.

Physical Health

Not necessarily lack of commitment, but lack of time leading to low levels of exercise

In a survey we conducted with business professionals from different industries, 43.5% of people reported only exercising 1-2 days a week. Of the same people surveyed, 73.9% wished that they exercised more. With an average workday of 8 hours, often more, employees can find it hard to workout. A large majority of the participants said if they worked less, they would take advantage of the time by exercising more.

It should be important for a business to create opportunities and encourage its employees to find time to exercise because their profits depend on it.

We asked respondents if they were satisfied with the amount they exercised in a week. Here are the results

Poor physical health reduces productivity and costs the company.

Physicians are worried that American workers are too inactive while at work. Studies done by Loughborough University show that sitting for more than 8 hours a day leads to a 48% increased risk of diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity. Extended periods of sitting and stress have also been linked to higher risk of MSD’s (Musculoskeletal disorders) that affect bones, joints, and connective tissues. These problems cause employees to take off from work, costing the companies millions of dollars a year. Across the EU, 44 million workers experience MSD’s. The cost of lost productivity and absenteeism due to sickness amounted to 2% of total GDP. In the US, employees using paid sick leave increased from 59% in 1993 to 73% in 2012. Following with the same pattern, costs rose from $0.17 to $0.35. respectively.

Absenteeism due to sickness and MSD’s can be attributed to both high stress work environments and the lack of self care taken by employees. In the face of increasing costs, it is then the job of business’ to step in and introduce preventative initiatives.

Other health promotion programs have been implemented in Canada to educate employees about healthy practices. These initiatives have led to returns of $8.81 per dollar spent.

What Is Being Done?

The World Health Organization is also encouraging business’ to rethink their workplace layout. They advise employers to: • Encourage employees to take the stairs over the elevator

• Encourage employees to drink more water to ensure more bathroom breaks

• Encourage employees to walk over to colleagues to discuss business matters instead of sending emails

• Hold standing or walking meetings• Set up hall tennis to be used during breaks

Mental Health

With increasing demands at work and larger external pressures, mental health has become a significant issue in the 21st century.

Stress related illnesses have been increasing in recent years. When accumulated, these absences result in high costs for employers, due to a loss in productivity. Stress is linked to longer work hours, poor communication, and a stark contrast between work and personal commitments. Employees are being overworked and are underperforming because of it. More than 50% of those surveyed work 8-10 hours a day, while 82% of those surveyed said that they are working below productivity.

It doesn’t help that mental health is stigmatized in the workplace. Studies have found that the stigma associated with mental health has deterred people from seeking treatment fearing that it will hinder their future career aspirations. 62% of american employees have not used their allotted vacation time in the past year. The most grave cases of mental health stigma have resulted in workplace suicides, which are foreshadowed by a high amount of overtime work and low amount of self care.

In the American market, 1,000,000 US employees call off work each day due to workplace stress. Paid personal leave increased from 20% to 49% between 1993 and 2012. Productivity losses related to these absences are valued at $1,685 per employee per year ($225.8B annually).

Some employers have taken steps to combat the work-related stress their employees face. In 2010, companies with the most effective health and productivity programs: • Achieved 11% more revenue per employee

• Delivers 28% higher shareholder returns

• Faced lower medical trends for their employees

• Had fewer absences per employee

All of these results lead directly to business growth, which reinforces the fact that it is in the company’s best interest to manage the mental health of their employees.

Social Health

The Need for a More Flexible Workday

65.2% of people we surveyed said that they are not happy given their current work situation. With the need to create high returns for investors, employers often require workers to work long hours or during times that are not always when they are most productive. The Majority of participants reported being productive in between hours not captured by the traditional 9-5 work day; with the exception of a few, everyone believed flexible hours would help increase their productivity and usefulness to the company.

“I work when I want, where I want and I can manage my time according to my own needs, not that of my employer. This means I can work when I feel productive and my outputs are better.”

- iX Survey Respondent

For working mothers, the rigidity of work schedules can lead to work-life imbalance and additional stress and unhappiness

The US is one of three nations that does not require businesses to offer paid maternity leave. Mothers are forced to take unpaid work leave if they extend what their business allows. Decreased pay and increased responsibility post childbirth result in increased stress which affects productivity levels.

¼ have missed two or more

significant events in their child’s life

in the last year.

⅓ of working mothers would take a pay cut to spend more

time with their children.

6 in 10 moms say that balancing work and family is difficult.

What Is Being Done?

Tech companies are leading the way in offering better work-family balance incorporation. Amazon has begun to offer paternal leave and has made family-forward policies part of its norm. Other employers should recognize the benefits of offering flexible hours, not only for working parents, but all employees in their company- optimizing on when employees are most productive- in order to recognize the highest profits.

Looking at the Future: Millenials

Millennials are increasingly choosing medium and small sized firms to work for over larger, less personalized ones. Growing up in the digital age in which customization is a given, they are not attracted to the one-size-fits all methodology. They want to feel valued, treated as an individual, not lost in the mix.

Business’ that want to appeal to the youngest and brightest minds must incorporate flexible work hours to ensure that they provide a healthy social environment necessary to attract the future of their company.

Ways Employers Can Begin to Focus on Wellbeing in the Workplace

Incorporating Physical Health Initiatives to Increase Productivity

Here are some ways that employers can promote an active lifestyle in the workplace: • Attach a health section to newsletter with recent trends or

health facts • Put up informational signs in places where employees are

most likely to view them • Provide gym or sports club memberships • Extend lunch hour • Allow employees to workout • Start a company sports team • Utilize treadmill desks and sit stand desks

• Studies done found that sitting decreased by 29%

Incorporating Mental Health Initiatives to Increase Productivity

Incorporating Social Health Initiatives to Increase Productivity

Employers should incorporate programs into mandatory training that address mental health issues • Anti-stigma intervention program to improve employee

knowledge and support to those of their colleagues with mental disorders as well encourage those suffering to seek help

• Evidence that targeted interventions have helped erode stigma

• Bring in a yoga specialist once a week

Employers should allow for some flexibility in the workplace • Email Meetings - our survey shows a range

of numbers and hours of meetings per week; clear majority found that at least some meetings served no purpose

• Flexible Work Day • Allow employees to work from home on certain days • Allow employees to come in late or leave early

depending on preferences • Provide childcare for working parents, allowing them to attend

doctor appointments, work out, or take a break when stressed

Sources

An Introduction to Comprehensive Workplace Health Promotion. Rep. 1.1st ed. Ontario: Banting Institute, 2004. Print.

Fermin, Jeff. "19 Frightening Workplace Mental Health Statistics." Officevibe. N.p., 06 May 2014. Web. 17 June 2016.

"Get Up, Stand Up, Get Moving." Occupational Health (2016): 11-13. Web. 10 June 2016.

Hanisch, Sabine E., Conal D. Twomey, Andrew C. H. Szeto, Ulrich W. Birner, Dennis Nowak, and Carla Sabariego. "The Effectiveness of Interventions Targeting the Stigma of Mental Illness at the Workplace: A Systematic Review." BMC Psychiatry 16.1 (2016): n. pag. Web. 14 June 2016.

Kashen, Julie. "Tech Companies Are Leading the Way on Paid Family Leave." The Century Foundation. N.p., 10 Nov. 2015. Web. 17 June 2016.

Segal, Ph.D., Jeanne, Lawrence Robinson, and Melinda Smith, M.A. "The Mental Health Benefits of Exercise." HelpGuide. N.p., May 2016. Web. 10 June 2016.

Smith, David, Katherine LaVelle, Mary Lyons, and Yaarit Silverstone.