In today’s world, employee wellbeing is more than a nice-to-have – it’s a priority for companies around the globe. And for good reason. A 2024 survey revealed that 77% of employees reported that work-related stress negatively impacted their physical health.
Additionally, another survey by Deloitte showed that 63% of respondents exhibited at least one sign of burnout, such as exhaustion or mental distance from their job, up from 51% in 2021.
These statistics underscore the pressing need for comprehensive strategies to address mental health, economic health, and safety concerns in the workplace.
Leveraging Environment, Health, and Safety (EHS) software can play a pivotal role in promoting employee wellness and fostering a healthier work environment.
What is Employee Wellbeing?
Employee wellbeing refers to a professional’s holistic state of mental, physical, and, emotional health. It encompasses various aspects of life, including career, social, financial, physical, and community wellbeing.
Why is Employee Wellbeing Important?
Employee wellbeing isn’t just a tick-box exercise. When companies make wellness a priority, they see real, measurable benefits. Here’s why it matters:
Various factors contribute to employee wellbeing, including relationships, workplace conditions, and external stressors.
A happier, more productive workforce: Employees who feel valued and cared for are more motivated, engaged, and capable of delivering high-quality work. Prioritising employee health isn’t just good for morale; it also cuts down on absenteeism, boosts productivity, and creates a positive workplace culture.
Attracting top talent: Today’s workforce is increasingly looking for employers who demonstrate a genuine commitment to mental health and wellness.
A proactive approach to risk management: Tracking wellness data helps EHS teams proactively manage risks tied to mental health.
Employee Engagement and Wellbeing
Employee engagement and wellbeing are closely linked. Employers can promote employee engagement by providing opportunities for growth and development, recognising employee contributions, and fostering a positive company culture.
Employee engagement can lead to higher employee morale, better work-life balance, and improved job satisfaction. Employers can also use employee engagement metrics to measure the effectiveness of their wellbeing initiatives and make data-driven decisions.
How to Improve Employee Wellbeing
Improving the well being of staff isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach – it’s about creating a workplace that feels safe, inclusive, and supportive on both a collective and individual level.
But, it’s essential to remember that wellbeing goes beyond mental health. It includes physical health and finding a healthy work-life balance.
Simple steps like setting clear boundaries around working hours and expectations can go a long way in fostering a balanced, supportive culture.
Consider employee wellbeing initiatives that support mind and body, like cycle-to-work schemes, gym memberships, or private healthcare. These benefits are not only appreciated, but help keep employees healthy and engaged.
Additionally, offering opportunities for personal and professional growth is key. When employees feel that their development is supported, satisfaction rises, and retention improves – a win for both individuals and the company.
EHS software can be an invaluable tool here, helping you provide wellness support and monitor any incidents that impact your workforce. With this support in place, employees can focus on their roles, knowing they have a company that’s invested in their wellbeing.
Creating an Employee Wellbeing Strategy
Creating an employee wellbeing strategy is essential for promoting employee wellbeing and improving job satisfaction. Employers can start by conducting a wellbeing survey to understand the needs and concerns of their employees.
Based on the survey results, employers can develop a comprehensive wellbeing strategy that addresses physical, emotional, and mental health. The strategy should include initiatives such as wellness programs, mental health services, and work-life balance policies. Employers should also communicate the strategy to employees and provide regular updates on progress.
Overcoming Challenges to Wellbeing Strategies
Overcoming challenges to wellbeing initiatives is essential for promoting employee wellbeing. Employers can face challenges such as poor management style, lack of resources, and employee resistance to change.
To overcome these challenges, employers can provide training and development programs for managers, allocate resources and budget for wellbeing initiatives, and communicate the benefits of wellbeing programs to employees.
Employers can also involve employees in the development and implementation of wellbeing initiatives to increase buy-in and engagement.
Leverage EHS Software to Improve Employee Wellbeing
EHS software may not seem like the most obvious first choice for an employee wellbeing tool. But if you already have an EHS solution, or are thinking about getting started with one, it can easily be leveraged to create a culture of safety and improve wellbeing.
Implementing EHS software also shows that you’re willing to invest in a healthy workplace and employee wellbeing.
The knowledge that you are committed to the safety of your workforce helps build a sense of trust, which ultimately leads to a stronger feeling of belonging and community.
Below, we outline some of the ways that EHS software can help.
Builds a Universal and Proactive Approach to Safety
Having an easy-to-use EHS software solution is likely to increase the usage of the tool. This engagement often leads to employees using the tool more proactively, like filing an incident report from their mobile phone straight away instead of waiting until they’re able to access and fill out the necessary paperwork. This engagement often leads to employees using the tool more proactively, supporting various workforce wellbeing initiatives.
Using EHS software sends a clear message: you’re committed to your employees’ wellbeing and willing to invest in their safety. This commitment builds trust, fosters a sense of belonging, and strengthens the community within your workforce.
Here are a few ways EHS software can support your wellbeing initiatives:
Allows Employees to Focus on Their Job
A proactive approach to health and safety also means a more efficient approach.
A good EHS software solution should save employees time when undertaking audits, risk assessments, and incident reports – valuable time that could be spent on their actual jobs.
By giving employees the freedom to concentrate on their core responsibilities, job satisfaction and financial wellbeing go up, and retention rates follow suit. It’s a simple way to empower your team, keep them engaged, and help them thrive in their roles.
Monitor Mental Health and Workplace Incidents
Employee wellbeing is hard to measure definitively. But, having a few key data points that you can rely on helps to provide some indication of the overall workplace sentiment.
Incident reporting software is an important feature of an EHS solution and it can be used to track mental health-related incidents, stress-related accidents, abseentism, and burnout indicators.
Tracking this data can help you spot patterns of behaviour or areas of weakness that you can work on to improve employee wellbeing.
For example, with Vatix’s EHS solution, you can create custom dashboards to provide insights into the most common types of wellbeing incidents, or spot particular sites or offices were there are a high level of incidents. This granular level of data enables you to identify institutional issues or root causes that need to be addressed.
Conclusion
Post-pandemic, there is an even greater focus on ensuring employee health and wellbeing. And employees are now less willing to compromise on personal and professional wellness.
As a result, mental health now comes under the scope of EHS and organisations have to prioritise creating a physically and psychologically safe workspace.
Vatix’s incident reporting software provides the tools to make that commitment actionable. With robust features like customisable dashboards and data tracking, Vatix helps you monitor key indicators of employee wellness, such as stress-related incidents.
This data-driven approach gives you insights into where support is most needed, helping you address issues before they impact morale, safety, and productivity.
By leveraging Vatix’s software, you’re not only promoting a safer workplace – you’re building a culture of care and trust. Employees know their wellbeing is valued and that their concerns are heard, creating a positive workplace environment where they can truly thrive.
Investing in the right tools for EHS doesn’t just support compliance; it’s a commitment to the wellbeing of your team and the success of your organisation. With Vatix, you can take the next step in creating a work environment that’s healthy, supportive, and resilient for the challenges of tomorrow.
Get in touch today to see how Vatix can help you to improve employee wellbeing.
