Facing the future: building healthy and resilient workforces equipped for change
From technological advances, the gig economy and unpredictable economic challenges, to the ageing of the population and the need for reskilling every few years, all businesses are undergoing a transformation of one sort or another.
Anyone thinking through the future of work can see that ordinary human beings will be hit hard – emotionally and potentially physically – if those of us in a position to assist with the transformation, not least employers, do nothing to smooth the transition.
Impact of high pressure working environments
The Employee Wellbeing Research 2018 already shows that almost three quarters of employers are concerned about the impact of high pressure working environments on wellbeing, while six in 10 boards say that mental wellbeing of staff is their top concern.
In interviewing five business leaders and CEOs for the Employee Wellbeing Research 2018, we could hear the genuine concern each has for the wellbeing of their staff although they were upfront about how this care improves business results. They clearly see wellbeing as being tied to talent recruitment and retention, employee engagement and productivity. The way they view wellbeing is very broad – it’s about giving staff autonomy over how they work and where they work, it’s giving them flexibility to live lives outside of work so as to be energised when they are at work. It is about realising the value of the huge wealth of experience that can be tapped when people are able to reach their full potential. Healthy, happy workers lead to healthy, wealthy, happy organisations.
To support these overarching business ambitions, businesses need policies: whether they are about working practices and line management, training and development or offering bene ts and insurances that support health and wellbeing.
Leadership needs to champion wellbeing
After reviewing more than 80 entries in the Employee Wellbeing Awards 2018, it was evident that where someone at board level truly champions wellbeing the strategy is vastly more powerful for staff. This good leadership is important because we are living in a society where we do not know if automation or artificial intelligence will remove our jobs or our businesses in the near future; we’re trying to come to terms with new threats such as cybercrime and ‘always on’ technology; we’re increasingly sedentary; and the gulf between the haves and the have-nots grows ever wider.
So a focus on resilience and wellbeing is a vital strategy at a societal level to help populations adjust. Employers are key to delivering this.
Debi O'Donovan is a director of the Reward & Employee Benefits Association.
Debi O'Donovan is speaking at REBA's Employee Wellbeing Congress 2018, which is being held on 5 July in London.
