This week is World Wellbeing Week. The stresses and strains of life can often become a burden, which is why this week is focused on discovering tips, reasons and help for overcoming stress and practicing workplace wellbeing.

It feels like wellness is a buzzword that’s only really appeared since the turn of the century. That’s because businesses, as they have evolved and new leaders have emerged with a greater understanding of people, have needed to adapt with the new age of workers. This has forced many companies to rethink their strategy around mental health and wellbeing.

Why Mental Health Works for Business

It is surprising that the conversation about workplace wellbeing has taken so long to evolve and take off. It is worth the time of the employer for a number of reasons, from financial to interpersonal.

The direction of the world is changing, and employees want a greater work/life balance, and they want their employers to facilitate that. Longer hours, consistent difficult deadlines and hostile atmospheres are no longer tolerated like they once were. So, for numerous reasons, businesses are being forced to change the way they work. Here are a few reasons why being considerate to the wellbeing of your employees will pay for your business.

Helping Your Employees Shout be a High Priority

Your employees are your biggest asset. No matter what business you’re in, and how many employees you have, they are the ones that earn you the money. You may be a sole trader – but a lot of this information would still be for you.

Businesses are run for different reasons and have different goals, but those businesses who sincerely care about their employees will begin to see happier workplaces, increased production and in most cases, greater success.

While the end goal of a business is to make a profit, this should be in conjunction with caring for the people that make up your business.

To Improve Your Relationship with Employees

This is linked into the above point about caring for your employees. Proving that you think about their wellbeing and putting schemes in place to help them with better improve your relationship with them, and begin to bare fruits in ways other than money. Greater loyalty, a better environment and a growth in reputation are all outcomes that come from improving your relationship with your staff.

It Will Help You Reduce Absence Costs

According to a study by Westfield Health, mental health absenteeism costs U.K. businesses £14 billion. We estimate that there are 5.6 million businesses trading in the U.K, today. That means the average cost of absenteeism is £2500 per business. While this figure will different between small and large businesses, it’s still pretty stark. Helping reduce this cost even by 10% would make a huge difference to the outlay of British businesses. According to the Mental Health Foundation’s own research, 12.7% of all sickness absence days in the UK can be attributed to mental health conditions. Changing this would retain an awful lot of money for businesses and help an awful lot of employees. Ignoring workplace wellbeing is a costly choice.

Your Reputation and a Business and Employer is Key

If you begin to take the issue of mental health seriously, you will – whether you actively pursue it or not – further improve your reputation as both a business or an employer.

Your employer reputation is important because it is tough for a business to improve if it is not attracting the application of the highest quality candidates it can. If you offer poor pay, or a bad atmosphere, or a lack of promotion opportunities, the word will get out. To attract higher caliber applicants, take workplace wellness seriously and be a higher caliber employer.

While mental health is important, it is always key to ensure you are mindful of the entire health and safety package for employees. There are legislation and legal requirements for the safety of employees in a business setting. To ensure you are up to date with your safety processes, hire a business to take care of this for you. Direct365 offer a number of business essential services, including Workplace Safety Testing Services, that will help you stay compliant while concentrating on growing your business.

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