Fostering Workplace Wellbeing: A Catalyst for Organizational Productivity

Health and wellbeing are considered as crucial aspects in terms of promoting safety and welfare of workers in the workplace. Through promoting positive health and wellbeing of workers it is possible for an organisation to enhance its overall productivity and improves its economic growth at the domestic and international level. A healthy workplace therefore is associated with developing a productive work environment and improving the overall social care infrastructure that can contribute to reduction of cost of the healthcare to economy. This essay will discuss that how wellbeing in the workplace can benefit professionals of organisations and the workplace in relation to enhancing the organisational productivity.

The wellbeing of workers in a workplace is not only associated with the physical health and safety but also their emotional, psychological and spiritual well-being. Wellbeing in a workplace is strongly dependent on how workers are treated in their workplace and what facilities they are provided with to promote their professional and personal development. As mentioned by Hodgins et al. (2016), wellbeing in workplace is important for promoting the optimal health for workers. Workers invest their hard work and effort in their work throughout the life to meet organisational objectives. Therefore, workers have the right to retain an optimal health that will not only promote their physical wellbeing but also promote their social and economic wellbeing. According to Lelliott et al. (2008), while it comes to promote the health and wellbeing of workers, organisations must ensure that systematic and highly appropriate health promotion framework has been developed for employees that can meet the holistic wellbeing of workers. Holistic wellbeing is something that is not confined to only physical wellbeing but also the wellbeing of the entire mind and body of workers. The concept of holistic wellbeing had been introduced in the early nineteenth century in the UK. In modern era, the holistic wellbeing of workers can be promoted through meeting all their basic needs of workers that are associated with positive physical, mental and emotional health of workers. These needs are economic, social, healthcare, safety, psychological and physical needs (Goble and Bye-Brookes, 2016).

Economic support or financial security to workers in an organisation is considered as the important factor that promote the wellbeing of workers. As mentioned by Garg (2017), low remuneration, lack or bonus and incentives and lack of salary hikes make it difficult for the workers to meet their financial needs. The unmet financial needs impact adversely on the overall living standard, regular lifestyles and food habits of workers which interfere with their physical and psychological wellbeing. According to Goble and Bye-Brookes (2016), there are many cases in which the salary that workers receive is lower as compared to the effort and times they invest into their job. Evidence suggests that people with low salary are more likely to suffer from psychological illness such as depression, anxiety and frustration. As mentioned by Garg (2017) workers with lower salary and lack of financial security in their workplaces are vulnerable to chronic illness such as pulmonary illness, cardiovascular disease, cancer and diabetes. The most common reason that is given by many theorists behind developing this chronic health condition is workers with lower salary are more likely to be addicted to alcohol, smoking and drugs (Lelliott et al. 2008). International Labours Organisation (ILO) suggests that, organisations must maintain a well-structured remuneration system in which the financial needs of each workers could be met.

Another most important factor that impacts the wellbeing of workers in an organisation is its workplace regulation and policies. As mentioned by Hodgins et al. (2016), the wellbeing and positive health of workers in an organisation are associated with how fairly and systematically the workplace regulation and policies are implemented in workplace. ILO mentions that, organisations must develop the policies for welfare of the workers by providing them with qual and fair opportunities in workplace. For example, the employers must provide equal opportunities to the women and men at the workplace irrespective of their gender, ethnicity, caster and religion. In this context Garg (2017), stated that, by developing fair and supporting workplace policies, organisation can promote the social, psychological and economic wellbeing of workers. Evidence suggests that, if an organisation has highly organised, fair and supportive workplace polices and regulation, it develops chances of having highly productive and healthy workforce that can deal with any market challenges. The organisational regulation must emphasize on employee wellbeing, their health promotion, supportive workplace formation and productivity enhancement of entire organisation (Goble and Bye-Brookes, 2016). Therefore, organisations can promote the positive health and welfare of its staffs through implementing fair and well-constructed regulation and policies.

While it comes to promote wellbeing of workers, an organisation must consider the workplace element that are associated with employee wellbeing (Garg, 2017). These elements are well-decorated workplace, natural light, clean and fresh air, mixed workspace, enough spaces for walking, healthy and productive workplace environment and a good canteen or cafeteria. Evidence suggests that workers who work in organisation that has well-structured and organised workplace are more likely to develop good physical health, positive thoughts and productive decision. Goble and Bye-Brookes (2016) mentioned that, workers invest their most of the times in a day in their workplace. Therefore, it is important for an organisation to provide a well-organised workplace and positive environment to the workers which will not only develop good physical and mental wellbeing of workers but also assist them to develop good behaviour and habits that are important for promoting good health.

Working hours is a potential factor that impacts the wellbeing of workers. It is evident that workers who work in unorganised sectors are more like to experience different psychological and physical health issues such as pulmonary illness, respiratory issues and heart disease (Hodgins et al. 2016). For promoting positive wellbeing of workers organisation must have comfortable working hours and systematic work schedule that will enable workers to feel free and relax during their work. The work schedule must be organised in such a manner that will not pose overburden or heavy workload on any staff. Workers’ wellbeing is associated with how much systematically and efficiently the working hours are set for the workers. ILO recommends that organisations must ensure that workers will work not more than 8 hours in a day and if there is any requirement for overtime, then organisation must pay the incentive to the workers for their overtime work. Critics argued that, not only the working hours but also the delegation of work is also important factor that is associated with promoting health and wellbeing in an organisation (Lelliott et al. 2008).

Organisations must ensure that there is systematic delegation of work in which tasks are assigned to each worker based on his or her designation and professional standard. As mentioned by Hodgins et al. (2016), organisational professionals must ensure that work delegation would be based on how much workload each worker can take. Evidence suggests that workers who work in workplace in which there is the systematic and fair work division, are more likely to have good health and wellbeing. If there are issues with systematic work delegation in an organisation it may pose uneven and unfair workload on workers thereby developing the chances of psychological and physical distress of workers. As mentioned by Lelliott et al. (2008), work must be assigned in a such a way that will provide workers with the opportunity to improve their professional development, meet their physical and psychological needs and improve their personal strength. If the work delegation process is highly systematic it contributes to the workplace productivity by developing a healthy workforce.

Another important factor that is associated with promoting wellbeing in workplace is the corporate health check-up (Garg, 2017). In modern era, all the corporate houses offer the facility of full m body health check-up for workers in every year. This is highly important because it assists the organisation to determine whether employee have the physical and mental ability to meet the company objectives on long term. On the other hand, through availing this health check-up, employees are benefited in terms of getting all the updates regarding their health and wellbeing for free. As mentioned by Goble and Bye-Brookes (2016), corporate health check-up is an effective initiative that not only assist workers to determine their health condition but also provide them advice regarding self-management, healthy habits and healthy life styles.

From the above-mentioned discussion it can be stated that, promoting health and wellbeing of workers is the prime n responsibility of an organisation. For promoting employee’s wellbeing organisation must ensure that all the workplace elements are present in the workplace that are needs to develop the physical and psychological wellbeing of workers. These elements are good work environment, fresh air, clean and hygienic environment inside office, proper washroom, good canteen and cafeteria and mixed workspace. On the other hand, organisation also ensure that workers are treated with dignity and respect in the organisation. Organisational must provide the workers with a healthy, creative and supporting workplace in which they can develop good thought, productive decision, good physical as well as mental health and positives behaviour that are need for holistic wellbeing of workers.

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Reference list:

Garg, N., 2017. Workplace spirituality and employee well-being: An empirical exploration. Journal of Human Values, 23(2), pp.129-147.

Goble, C. and Bye-Brookes, N., 2016. Health and Well-being for Young People: building resilience and empowerment. Macmillan International Higher Education.

Hodgins, M., Fleming, P. and Griffiths, J., 2016. Promoting health and well-being in the workplace: Beyond the statutory imperative. Macmillan International Higher Education.

Hughes, Be well, Learn Well (Kortext Custom Pages 1-61)

Lelliott, P., Boardman, J., Harvey, S., Henderson, M., Knapp, M. and Tulloch, S., 2008. Mental health and work.