How to Embed Occupational Wellness into Your Company Culture

According to a report by LinkedIn—94% of employees would stay longer at a company if more learning opportunities were provided. Moreover, organisations that recognise employees for their efforts and appreciate them saw a 14% increase in employee productivity. 

These statistics paint a clear picture that a positive and encouraging work environment and culture are what the workforce wants. And as the increasing level of pressure and competition is a significant cause of burnout, a cohesive and supportive workplace can counter that feeling by providing a sense of satisfaction, security, confidence, and most of all, peace of mind. 

This guide will focus on the importance of occupational wellness, why companies should focus on creating a better environment, and how prioritising their employees’ well-being can benefit both.

To learn more, read on… 

What is occupational wellness? 

Occupational wellness means achieving a balance between work and other responsibilities. This balance, in turn, lessens work stress, improves co-worker relationships, and enables employees to seek satisfaction in their work and enjoy recreational activities. 

It enables employees to find value in themselves and their work and allows them to branch out to try new and different prospects should they feel the need because people only have that mentality when they’re comfortable. 

Additionally, a healthy balance of work and other activities in daily life is essential to maintain good mental health, which, in turn, is vital for good workplace performance. Moreover, according to research, 79% are more likely to stay with a company that provides good mental health care. 

Why is occupational wellness important? 

Occupational wellness is essential today because of ever-increasing job competition and pressure. More often than not, work takes priority over recreational activities and connecting with friends and family. This imbalance can have devastating effects on people’s wellbeing. 

On the flip side, if household responsibilities are overwhelming, they can affect performance in the workplace. So, establishing a balance is crucial so neither obligations suffer a drop. 

Providing opportunities and supporting employees during challenging ordeals, whether at home or in the workplace, eases their burdens and allows them to destress and collect their emotions which is important to achieve much-needed balance. 

Only after that can employees see an increase in productivity and job satisfaction, be more motivated, and experience the same outside of the workplace.

Key stats on occupational wellbeing:

• 15% – 20% of voluntary turnover is due to experiencing burnout.
• 82% of employees suffering from mental health issues did not report it, fearing negative feedback.
• Companies with a good well-being program saw 89% of their employees recommending them as excellent workplaces. 
• 35% of employees reported a negative impact due to workplace stress, and 2% reported overwhelming stress that hindered their ability to work.
• According to a report by HBR, employee well-being increases sales by 37%, team creativity by 55%, productivity by 31%, and decreases errors by 19%.
• Companies with poor or no employee well-being programs have to pay 20 times more yearly than those who do. 

Examples of occupational wellbeing:

1. Acknowledge employees

Appreciating employees for their efforts and rewarding them accordingly massively boosts their confidence and encourages them to perform at the same level or go even further beyond. Confident employees are more likely to be satisfied with their work and organisation, increasing the company’s chances of retaining employees. 

2. Remote or hybrid working models

Introducing or encouraging employees to opt for different working models according to their preferences will create a sense of comfort and security. It will also boost diversity as the company can hire people worldwide. Their perspectives and experiences will be valuable in creating an enriched working environment. 

📖 Find out more about supporting remote workers through mentoring with Guider 📖

3. Wellness tools

Applications and tools that help individuals manage and focus their emotions and energy with the help of exercise or meditation can be an excellent option to promote wellness in the organisation. Providing employees with subscriptions to these applications will help them better manage stress and burnout at their own pace without any financial repercussions. 

📖 Read more on wellbeing areas to focus on in our guide 📖

6 ways to embed occupational wellness in your organisation

• According to research by Zippia:
• 52% of U.S. companies have occupational wellness programs,
• 72% of companies decreased their healthcare costs,
• and 80% of employees reported enjoying their work more. 

These statistics clearly show how important occupational wellness is for an organisation and its employees—and embedding wellness programs into your organisation will only improve the culture, environment, profits, employee satisfaction, and retention rates. 

Here are 6 ways to embed occupational wellness in your organisation: 

1. Open communication 

Employees should feel heard and valued in any organisation to be efficient and do their best work. Incorporating and encouraging a culture where open communication takes priority will provide employees with a safe space to speak their minds, share their troubles, and ask for help and guidance to work through them. 

2. Workshops 

By providing employees with internal, external, and remote opportunities to learn and grow their skillset, they will feel encouraged to pursue their interests and better themselves for their current positions.

This will create a sense of support from the organisation, and employees will have a higher sense of security, confidence, and satisfaction. 

3. Group workouts

On-site group workouts are an excellent strategy for promoting wellness in the organisation. Group workouts can be physical and mental, and providing different options to employees to take care of their stress and issues however they deem fit will increase morale, dedication, and overall efficiency as they will have a sense of gratification from their work and feel happy about it if they’re free of stress. 

4. Destress zones

Many organisations have adopted the strategy of providing their employees with dedicated zones where they can retreat to destress, collect, sleep, and reinvigorate themselves. 

Employees like these zones as they don’t have to travel much to access peace and can return to work quickly once fully charged. This also provides employees with space to catch up with their co-workers, engage in recreational activities, etc. 

5. On-site healthcare

According to a study—organisations that provided healthcare saw a 60% increase in productivity. This shows the value of healthcare for employees in a company. Adding to their convenience by providing on-site checkups and vaccinations will increase employee satisfaction. It will motivate them to provide high-quality work for the organisation that cares for them. 

6. Mentoring and coaching

Providing mentoring and coaching programs can support mental health and occupational wellbeing throughout your organisation. These development tools are great ways to build the quality of people’s relationships, helping them to feel seen and heard. They can also have a huge benefit for employee mental health.

📖 Find out more in our guide to mentoring for mental health 📖

Final thoughts 

Organisations catering to their employees’ well-being see a significant increase in productivity, profits, and retention rates, allowing them to compete at the highest level in the market. Mentoring is also an excellent option to help the workforce deal with their issues, learn from experienced employees, and have a support system. So, what are you waiting for? It’s time to embed occupational wellness in your organisation – the benefits could be huge. 

Read more on employee wellbeing with Guider:

How to Improve Employee Wellbeing Through Mentoring 

10 Top Companies Thriving Through Mentoring 

How to Build a People Development Strategy That Actually Works

5 Employee Retention Strategies You Can Action Today

4 Example Mentoring Program Goals To Steal 

The What, Why and How of Returnship Programs

The Powerful Benefits of Mentoring Explained