Three ways to incentivise behaviour change to support better employee wellbeing
A case study of Simplyhealth, as an organisation, focussing on how it is actioning organisational purpose will be presented by Sian Evans, head of leadership and learning, and Camilla Brooke, head of client relationships, both from Simplyhealth, at the Employee Wellbeing Congress on 23rd September at 11.45.
So if you’re wondering how to better support employees, both mentally and physically, in your organisation, take a look at these three ways to incentivise behaviour change to help improve the wellbeing of your workforce.
1. Embrace technology such as wearable devices
Wearable tech has become a top trend over the past year, according to the Worldwide Survey of Fitness Trends for 2020 carried out by the American College of Sports Medicine. We’ve nearly all become accustomed to monitoring our daily step count and tracking activities, so why not incorporate this idea into the workplace? You can encourage employees to take ownership for their physical wellbeing by setting activity targets with different incentives.
For example, our employees were challenged to complete five million steps for charity over a fortnight in July. Screenshots of step counters and fitness trackers were shared, as well as photos of activities, which helped to keep us healthy, and build a great sense of community and coming-together. The event was so successful that the end target was tripled to 15 million combined steps!
2. Host wellbeing activities
It’s important to think how your leadership team is championing employee wellbeing in your workplace. You could ask them to host virtual wellbeing activities to help connect with employees across all levels, and initiate conversations about topics such as mental health. Think about activities that are inclusive and promote wellness.
For example, mental health charity Mind has created a monthly subscription called ‘Pause’. For a monthly donation, a box, which includes a wellbeing activity, is posted straight to your door with the idea to ‘encourage relaxation, creativity and reflection – to focus on and improve personal wellbeing’. Fun activities are a great way to incentivise employees to embrace new ways of looking after their wellbeing, and leadership teams must try and lead by example.
3. Communicate with your employees
Wellbeing surveys are a great way to conduct an organisational ‘temperature check’, but it can sometimes be challenging to achieve a reasonable completion rate, with the average at around 30%. So why not incentivise taking part to help boost participation?
By offering prizes with a wellbeing theme, such as fitness equipment or healthy food vouchers, you can help employees make the connection between giving their feedback and making positive organisational changes which support their wellbeing.
Remember, behaviour change doesn’t happen overnight
Changing habits takes time, so it’s important to remember not every employee and workplace is going to change overnight. Keep your end goal in mind and reiterate your key message; remind your employees that their wellbeing is at the core of your organisation.
This article is provided by Simplyhealth.
Supplied by REBA Associate Member, Simplyhealth
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