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Employee Retention via Wellness

Employee health and well-being should be a top priority for running a successful business, especially if you are concerned about retaining your valued employees. According to a survey conducted by Flexjobs, 49% of employees leave due to a lack of healthy work-life boundaries, and many businesses are starting to list employee wellness as a benefit when recruiting. Meeting company targets while maintaining good employee wellness can be a hard balancing act however, especially when running a business in a fast-paced industry. CAGBN has some suggestions for improving employee well-being in the workplace that are simple to implement, but will keep your employees happy, productive, and committed to their job.

• Encourage work-life balance. Now more than ever, the workforce is learning to prioritize their mental health and cultivate their lives outside of work. Support this! When your team is encouraged to fill their own metaphorical cups outside of the workplace, they contribute to a more productive, healthy, and happy environment. As this interesting piece by the BBC suggests, work-life balance is a moving target and not a simple formula, and therefore may look different for each individual. Get feedback from your team on what they need. Allow for personal time off when possible, and don’t forget how big of an impact the little things can have– like mid-day walks outside.
• Be flexible when possible. In the post-pandemic world, many companies now have experience with the work-from-home setup. If it is possible for your business model, consider having hybrid options for your employees. Not only does this reduce the GHG impacts of commuting, it also offers your employees more freedom. Additionally, consider offering flexibility with their schedules. For businesses that don’t have hard start times, consider allowing your employees to develop their own work schedules.
• Appreciate varying workstyles. Everyone thrives in different situations. Some people love frequent check-ins to maintain a pulse on a project, while others loathe micromanaging. Figure out how your team works best! You can support them by offering flexibility, and suggesting different management tools that may help. There are tons of online applications available to help your business track projects and maximize productivity, allowing you to know exactly where a project stands without having to disrupt your employee’s workflow.
• Have an open door policy. Allowing feedback makes it possible for growth and improvement to happen. You can also remove some of the anxiety and welcome more candid constructive criticism if you offer the opportunity for anonymous feedback with a suggestion box or anonymous Google Form.
• Don’t forget to have fun! Facilitating opportunities for bonding outside of work can be a great way to encourage employee well-being. Consider happy hours, potlucks, or maybe some friendly competition with a game night! In the workplace, also consider having monthly meetings where personal highlights and happy life events can be shared. Fostering personal bonds by sharing your life outside of work increases employee morale and loyalty.
• Have mission-driven work. Even if your business does not do mission-driven work, you can find ways to bring your employees together for common causes. This could take the form of group excursions to volunteer events at cleanups or shelters. You can also tie meaning to everyday work. Being or working towards being a Certified Green Business has meaning and impact, and can give your employees a sense of pride in where they work. Click here to find out more about the benefits of Green Business Certification!