How can SMEs make wellbeing in the workplace a priority?

It is hard to imagine a more stressful time for SMEs and their workforce. Many business and household finances are being wrung dry as prices continue to rise. Add to that the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on the nation’s health and state of mind still taking a toll and there’s no surprise that more people are struggling. 

Looking after the wellbeing of your workers in these difficult times is key to both their welfare and your business’s success. 

So how can SMEs support their employees’ wellbeing in such austere times? How and why can wellbeing in the workplace be prioritised?

Why wellness at work is important

Industries such as manufacturing, logistics and transportation have long since focused on the physical aspects of health and safety at work to ensure their workers have the correct protective gear, training and environment to do their jobs without unnecessary risk of physical harm. But looking after employees’ psychological health is just as important for both staff wellbeing and company success.

An IES study recently found that around 60% of manufacturers assess the risk of physical injury and promote better physical safety, but fewer than 15% evaluate the risk that certain tasks and shifts work will damage mental health. As few as one in five invest in measures to promote good mental health.

When your workforce feels overstretched, unsafe, mentally or physically unwell; when their struggles are overlooked or their efforts underacknowledged, the atmosphere, culture, attendance, productivity and the bottom line can all deteriorate as a result. The results are far-reaching and can be disastrous. Of course, the converse is true when employees feel that their physical and mental health are being cared for at work.

The same study found that improving the mental health of workers increased productivity by 10%.

How to spot if your staff are struggling with their wellbeing

• Putting in less effort and caring less about the quality of their work
• Withdrawing from conversations and social spaces
• Being absent from work
• Engaging very little in problem solving, team work or small talk
• Being easily distracted, absent-minded and clearly having other things on their minds
• Saying negative things about themselves, others or their work.
  
  

What industry-specific mental and physical wellbeing issues need to be addressed

For workers in such industries as transportation and manufacturing, shift work can take its toll on mental and physical health. While 33% of manufacturing workers surveyed have suffered increased anxiety, some 36% admitted they have eaten unhealthily and drank more alcohol in the last 12 months due to stress.

Drivers and machine operators can spend a lot of their time alone among noisy machinery. This can be damaging to their posture and hearing, but also to their mental wellness. According to the National Institute of Aging, isolation and loneliness are estimated to shorten life span by up to 15 years due to the ill effects they can cause, such as sleep deprivation, depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem.

One of many companies to have benefited from a focus on mental as well as physical wellbeing at work is A&M EDM Engineering, a firm that now boasts a happier, more productive workforce as a result. They, like many engineering companies, have a majority older male workforce who are traditionally resistant to talking about or seeking help with their mental health. They changed their work culture through personal, flexible support tailored to each individual and by opening the conversation and removing the stigma.

How prevention not just cure can best support staff wellbeing

One in seven SMEs have identified their staff’s mental health as one of their top three threats, according to recent research. And wellbeing in the workplace has even made it into the government’s budget announcements this year, with the offer of small business subsidies for occupational health (OH) services. But despite these headline news stories, the reality is that most SMEs are unable to afford additional OH provision to ease the situation, even with the top-ups.

The answer might lie with prevention as well as cure. Wellbeing at work solutions that focus on helping employees that are already struggling, such as counselling may be unaffordable for smaller companies. But the long-term solution to supporting wellness in the workplace could be to build it into your company culture, right from recruitment to retirement.

Here are some suggestions for how you can incorporate a strong wellness culture in all aspects of company life:

• Take a little time to think about what you already offer that supports wellbeing and, from that, start to create your company wellness policy. This could be anything from comfort breaks, open door policies, team lunchtimes, phased return to work, mental health days, volunteering opportunities etc.
• If you are in a position to offer more, consider asking your current employees what they might find helpful – financial advice, discounts and special offers may be of interest in this climate.
• Make it clear to potential recruits in job adverts and interviews that employee wellbeing is high on the agenda by telling them about your wellness policy and all the different ways you encourage open communications, support and care.
• Encourage staff to take breaks together, especially those who work in isolated positions across the factory floor or out in the yard etc.
• Make sure your employees know what support is available by making your wellness policy easy to access and remind them regularly about what is offered in it.
• Lead by example – if your workers see you checking in with staff, taking a little time to chat, keeping your door open for drop-ins – they will feel more at ease and more likely to share their concerns and look for help before things escalate.

If you need help with recruitment, call Key Appointments on 0844 504 4666 or drop us a line at info@key-appointments.co.uk.