Functional or Fluffy? Defining wellbeing at work

Functional or Fluffy?
Defining wellbeing at work

You know that people are your number one resource, that wellbeing is important and that it can give your organisation a competitive edge, but have you considered what it really means in the workplace? 

What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think of wellbeing? Often it is activities like yoga and mindfulness. These kinds of ‘fluffy’ add-on activity tend to divide opinion and are focused on the individual. The concept of wellbeing is actually much broader and there are functional ways you can design the structures and build the culture of your organisation to increase engagement,  efficiency, autonomy, sense of purpose and environment, to dramatically increase a sense of wellbeing. 

Wellbeing is more than happiness
Emotional health is complex. Stress and anxiety are normal and necessary responses to ordinary life. Wellbeing does not mean that we reject these emotions entirely, and they can often be useful at work. For example fear is an excellent way of ensuring you meet your deadlines. If wellbeing is not just about pleasure or seeking positive emotions, what then does wellbeing at work cover?

What is wellbeing at work?
Many aspects of our work life contribute to our wellbeing. Signs that wellbeing is a high priority in an organisation include where it:

- Has a clearly defined mission, vision and values
- Contributes to a better and more equal society
- Builds a culture of trust and acknowledgement
- Sets expectations around healthy behaviour 
- Encourages discussions about mental health
- Has clear structures for assessing wellbeing and for when things go wrong
- Provides line managers with training
- Sets expectations around meetings and email

For employees, a sense of wellbeing increases when they:
- Have autonomy
- Have job security 
- Are recognised for their contribution
- Have a clear job description
- Have enough money to live and a level that is demonstrably fair
- Have challenging yet achievable objectives
- Have opportunities to progress
- Feel able to talk about mental health
- Have regular opportunities to learn
- Feel comfortable in the work environment
- Are encouraged to be creative
- Are physically and mentally healthy

Summary
Whilst the kinds of ‘fluffy’ activity like meditation or gratitude practices can be useful for some individuals, an employer who is serious about building wellbeing at work is more concerned with functional structures and culture, and a comprehensive wellbeing strategy can empower staff to become more resilient and effective and significantly increase wellbeing.