Michael Lansdell discusses how you can get the most out of your team.
The near-total disruption of normal working practices for millions of people during the pandemic means that business owners should now, ideally, have a well-resourced wellbeing strategy in place. Yet the evidence would seem to suggest that most UK businesses don’t have a designated budget for health and wellbeing, with no immediate plans to create one either.
Even if you embraced working from home, and were lucky enough to have a good setup, it is likely that you have been moving around less due to a lack of incidental exercise that comes with the daily commute. There have been multiple reports of more musculoskeletal problems as a result of home working, particularly lower back pain, which can be excruciating, as a direct result of a drop in exercise levels and/or being hunched over the kitchen table, or sat on the sofa, while tapping away at a laptop for hours. Physical and mental health are intrinsically linked; worse-case scenario would be an employee deciding to resign because they are finding their discomfort unmanageable.
Wellbeing and a return to work
Now more people are slowly returning to their workplaces, there are other wellbeing issues for business owners to consider. Not only the impact of the pandemic on their workforce’s mental health, and a need to have effective policies to help deal with this, but there may also be people who are unwilling or unable to return, or perhaps matters that have arisen because of those who are unvaccinated.
Simple solutions include all employees and workers to take proper breaks – so, not eating lunch at their desk, for example – and encouraging people to stand and move around regularly, to reduce the risk to their health that comes with staying sedentary for too long. You may even decide to bring in an adviser who people can talk with about what is troubling them, and there are also some excellent online platforms for supporting wellbeing at work too.
But this isn’t just a short-term issue because of the pandemic; with a good wellbeing strategy in place, you will get the most out of your team for years to come and they will feel nurtured and motivated too. A strategic focus is key, so you can measure if your investment into wellbeing is delivering, and then adapt it accordingly.
If you need help with budgeting for wellbeing, give Lansdell & Rose a call on 020 7376 933.