As an employer our team members health and well-being is extremely important to us. There are various organisation that offer support to employers wishing to implement and instigate wellness programs in the workplace for example the Beyond Blue Organisations Heads Up Program www.headsup.org.au The first step in the implementation process is to identify ‘what does wellness look like in your organisation’.
The attached article supplies an insight into what ‘well’ means in today’s context and the components of a successful workplace ‘wellness’ program.
Chris Rabba, The Wellness Architects, in conjunction with Leap Performance
We often assess the health of an organisation financially, as we should. But we should also be measuring the health (in a broad sense) of one of its most valuable resources – its people. We too often underestimate the impact that an ‘unhealthy’ group of people can have on an organisation.
So what does a healthy (or an unhealthy) group of people look like? What does it mean to be ‘well’ in today’s context? The old definition of ‘absence of disease’ has fortunately been superseded by a more comprehensive definition. To ask someone ‘How are you? … Are you well?’ will receive a variety of responses that underpin one’s perception of ‘well’. Aspects such as being physically well, mentally well, socially well, well at work, financially well and even spiritually well, all form part of what it can mean. As the definition of wellness broadens, so too must our thinking when it comes to health and ‘health at work’. It needs to encompass and address the entire spectrum of an individual’s sense of well-being.
Workplace health represents the combined efforts of employers, employees and society to improve the health and well-being of people at work. This is achieved through a combination of improving the work organisation and the working environment, promoting the active participation of employees in health activities and encouraging personal development.
The workplace plays an important role in the physical, mental, economic and social well-being of employees. Employees spend approximately one third of their lives at work in Australia. Due to this, the World Health Organisation and the Australian Government has identified and recognised the importance of workplaces to individual health and well-being.
When developing a strategic framework for workplace health, the aim must be to understand and address the basic fundamental needs of the individual both physically and mentally, whilst creating a culture of care and an environment that is conducive to making healthy choices. At the end of the day it’s all about behavioural change.
The design of the program needs to encompass a variety of elements that will positively influence engagement. Without your people taking part…you don’t have much of a program. Be creative, original in the topics covered, marketing mediums and delivery methodology.
Having a quantifiable predefined notion of success that is in line with the original set strategy and objectives is central to the evaluation process. And having an evaluation process is fundamental to reviewing the initiative in the first instance and contributing to the next iteration of the program moving forward.
The team at Green Taylor Partners can point you in the right direction to get you started.
