
The physical office environment has an important role to play in affecting your employees’ health and wellbeing.
But there’s a lot more to the work environment than meets the eye. Let’s take a look at the factors that help shape employee health and wellbeing.What is employee health and wellbeing?
According to the World Health Organisation, health is “a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”. It’s a definition that takes psychological, physiological and social factors into account – as well as the interactions between them. It also explicitly links health with wellbeing. And wellbeing, a positive rather than a neutral state, is all about how the physical, mental and social aspects of a person’s life interconnect.How the work environment influences employee health
You might say that wellbeing is how you feel about yourself and your life. So in the world of work, wellbeing is how you think about yourself in the context of your job. Businesses, therefore, tend to introduce employee health and wellbeing schemes in order to:- Increase staff productivity
- Lower healthcare costs
- Improve and maintain employee morale
- Retain employees
“I’m encouraged to express myself, challenge myself, and bend the rules.”
And as Richards said himself:“Everyone helps everyone.”
Here are some other elements of the work environment that make people want to come into work each day – or not.‘When I started Breathe I was determined to build a culture where our people grow and thrive. I think it’s so important that people look forward to coming to work each morning.”
Is it easy to take leave?
It’s important to take a holiday every once in a while. But have you ever considered how easy (or hard) it is for your employees to take time off work? What’s the process? Is there an online portal they use to request leave, or do you sign it off in person? Perhaps they have to give a month’s notice, or maybe it’s at their own discretion. However you go about it, it’s important to find a balance that works for your company and the employees who make it tick. If it’s a struggle to take annual leave it can be demoralising for employees.
How do you deal with bullying and harassment?

What are your managers doing?
Because they lead by example, managers are key to creating a supportive work environment. As the organisers and instigators of change, they also play a pivotal role in executing employee health and wellbeing plans. If managers don’t set the tone or allocate appropriate resources, employees may struggle to foster a culture of wellness by themselves.
Your own work environment
You’re probably reading this because you care about the health and wellbeing of your employees. Well, so do we. In association with Breathe, Real Business is running the SME Culture Leaders List 2019, the only league table of its kind catering to the UK’s thriving small and medium businesses that put company culture first. Nominations are now in and we’ll be announcing the top 25 on 22nd July. Watch this space.Share this story