How workplace culture is evolving to place employee wellbeing front and centre
Workplace culture can be defined as the common behaviours, goals and attitudes within an organisation which influence the way it functions. It’s something every organisation has, whether employees are conscious of it or not.
As the Covid-19 pandemic pushed employees away from the office, employers were forced to take notice of their workplace culture like never before. They needed to maintain this culture even when employees were away from their regular place of work.
As the pandemic swapped physical interaction for virtual, workplace culture became less about those ‘water-cooler’ moments and evolved into the all-encompassing framework upon which an organisation sits.
Wellbeing and retaining top talent
Employees became more aware of how their employer valued their wellbeing, driving wellbeing from a ‘nice to have’, to a prerequisite for retaining top talent.
Although employee wellbeing had been steadily rising up the HR agenda for years prior to the pandemic, the focus it put on health in all its forms was rightfully accelerated. Many organisations now prioritise workplace wellbeing as a means of managing productivity, ensuring they can recruit the right talent and retain the talent they already have.
As health related absences rose during the pandemic, employers became increasingly aware that a preventative approach to wellbeing through employee benefits would be a key tool to reduce the costs associated with absence.
Employers need a clear strategy
Wellbeing strategies now include traditional reactive benefits and preventative ones, creating a support framework for employees regardless of health status. This approach is here to stay, increasing the need for employers to have a clear strategy on their employee benefits and the role they have in the lives of their people.
Some companies are going one step further and bringing employee wellbeing to the C-suite, demonstrating its importance and the role wellbeing has in preserving the health of their greatest asset – their people. It shows just how significant employee wellbeing is now to workplace culture.
Supplied by REBA Associate Member, PIB Employee Benefits
PIB Employee Benefits is a forward-thinking consulting business.
