How to Pro-Actively Support Employee Wellbeing in the Workplace

Employee Wellbeing should always be an ongoing focus for any organisation however, with the pressures caused by Coronavirus it has become particularly important to focus on boosting people’s Wellbeing.

Doing so, will help to ensure a workforce is happier, healthier, more secure in their roles and, ultimately more resilient at work.[1] Not only is this the right thing to do by your people, it will also be hugely helpful to them given our current period of uncertainty.[2]

Actively supporting and championing employee wellbeing, will help your people to feel better within themselves and consequently more able to be present and perform well in their roles.

Furthermore, supporting your people’s wellbeing, will also give an organisation insights or the opportunity to understand what it can do to help. Ultimately allowing it to adapt in ways that truly matter to its people.

Ben Carpenter, Inclusive Services Lead at GDS and co-lead of the Wellbeing Working Group, says that to help your people with their wellbeing you need to do it in a way you believe is organised around their needs.^[3]

With that in mind, we have spoken to a few of our existing clients to gather some hints on how they put their people’s wellbeing needs front and centre. One of our customers recommends hosting regular peer-led Wellbeing Q&As on Trickle’s Platform. Below we have outlined how you can also run one of these events using Trickle’s platform.

Step One – Get People Talking About Wellbeing

You can open a dialogue on the topic of Wellbeing by posting a Trickle asking people to comment on the area of Wellbeing they would most like to talk about. You can encourage people to contribute by offering some examples – anxiety, fluctuations in workload, stress caused by Covid-19, etc.

Also, it’s worth remembering, openness is helpful, so be bold by taking the lead and sharing your own thoughts or issues. Then, the comment (or Wellbeing topic area suggestion) with the most supports, reactions, etc. should be the area of Wellbeing you focus on.

Step Two – Use Feedback to Create a Wellbeing Session

Once you have your winning topic, you can post a Shout About on Trickle to promote the winning theme and announce when a follow-up Wellbeing session related to this will take place.

Step Three – Get People to Ask Questions

When it comes to the time to host the session, create a Trickle announcing “Our XXX Wellbeing session is now open” and ask your people to post their questions in the comments section. It’s important that people feel safe to ask questions as the stigma around Wellbeing can sometimes put people off participating. So, also make them aware they can post their comments publicly or anonymously.

For anyone still not keen to ask a question, you can point them to Trickle’s Flare feature on Mobile App. Flares will give people the opportunity to raise a more sensitive issue on a one-to-one and anonymous basis.

Step Four – Answer in Real-Time

When people offer their feedback using comments, you should respond to them in real-time and show them that you are present and listening to them. It’s important they know their input is valued, this will help your people to feel better supported and will also encourage them to participate in the future.

Having regular interactions like this can help normalise talking about wellbeing and encourage people to feel it’s ok to raise issues.

Step Five – Thank Your People For Taking Part

After the session, post a Trickle thanking your people for participating in the Q&A. Also, as final reminder, let your people know if they have a more sensitive issue or wish to continue on a one-to-one basis they can do so using Flares on Mobile App.

 We hope you have found this useful. If you have any further questions or, would like to find out about other features we offer to support Employee Wellbeing, why not book a 30 minute demo with one of our friendly team?

 

[1] https://trickle.works/blog/the-importance-of-psychological-safety-in-the-workplace/

[2] https://trickle.works/blog/how-to-lead-support-employee-wellbeing-during-a-crisis/

^[3]https://governmentdigitalservice.podbean.com/e/government-digital-service-podcast-13-mental-wellbeing-at-gds/