GLOBAL FEATURE
Health and wellbeing
Until recently , the term ‘ corporate wellness ’ would have sounded like an oxymoron but now health and wellbeing in the workplace is a top priority for both employers and employees . How can a retailer improve employee engagement and productivity by investing in its staff ’ s health and wellbeing ?
Protecting and enhancing wellness , both physical and mental , has become a vital part of the employee experience . While health focuses differ from employee to employee , experts agree that there are some foundational pillars that employers can zoom in on :
• Psychological safety : In a company culture that rewards vulnerability , employees feel empowered to ask questions , try new things , correct mistakes , voice opinions , raise concerns and express themselves .
• Mental health : In a company that elevates mental health , employees feel comfortable taking breaks and practising self care . They also have access to professional help and training .
• Physical health : In a company that prioritises physical health , employees are encouraged and incentivised to take time away from screens , find movement through stretching or walking , and have reasonable meal breaks .
• Back-up support : In a company that provides back-up support , employees have access to extra carer ’ s leave for children and elders , to account for multiple dependants .
Forcing people to go into the office doesn ’ t work .
The business benefits for retailers of championing employee health and wellbeing are endless . A holistic approach to employee wellness is the best way to avoid employee burn-out and ensure employees are motivated to tackle deadlines and work through busy sales periods .
While there are various facets and approaches to advocating for employees ’ health and wellbeing , there is one company policy that stands out above all : flexibility . Qualtrics ’ 2024 Employee Experience Trends Report stated that hybrid working arrangements have the highest levels of engagement , over entirely remote or in-office work policies .
Employees who work in the office one to three days a week shared that they experienced higher levels of inclusion and wellbeing than those who work fully remotely , Qualtrics stated . But while employees enjoy the freedom and trust of remote work , they do not want it full-time . Employees ’ key performance indicators across engagement , intent to stay , inclusion and wellbeing are the highest in a hybrid work setting .
Despite the post-pandemic push to return to work , Culture Amp ’ s director of people science has found that employee engagement is not correlated with a five-day office work week . “ Forcing people to go into the office doesn ’ t work . You can create social expectations to go in on certain days and create reasons for that – that makes sense ,” Hamman said . Retailers should strategise to ensure that in-person work is purposeful and collaborative , to increase employee engagement . ►
August 2024 www . insideretail . asia 21