Motivated and happy employees are at the core of the future of work. John Cradden outlines what SME employers need to know.
It shouldn’t come as a huge surprise that companies that pay particular attention to improving workplace and employee wellbeing will enjoy higher staff morale and greater engagement at work.
Research by IBEC shows that 11m days are lost through absenteeism every year at a cost of €1.5bn or €818 per employee, while that six in 10 people are likely to stay longer with employers interested in their wellbeing.
“There are solid reasons to go further in safeguarding your employees’ wellbeing than just fulfilling basic health and safety requirements”
However, as in so many other respects, SMEs may struggle to find the finances, resources and time to focus on employee wellbeing initiatives.
A major 2023 UK and Ireland survey which included researchers at University College Cork found that while 76% of all employers in Ireland surveyed recognised they have responsibilities toward employees’ mental health, just 20% of smaller firms (up to 20 employees) had implemented any mental health and wellbeing initiative, compared with 81% of larger firms (more than 50 employees).
Of course, all employers have to comply with basic health and safety legislation, but there’s no legal obligation to participate in any initiatives that go further in terms of improving their employees’ health.
But there are solid reasons to go further in safeguarding your employees’ wellbeing than just fulfilling basic health and safety requirements.
Build your own employee wellbeing programme
Here are a few simple and cost-effective steps you take to get your own employee wellbeing programme up and running.
Take a break or a wellbeing hour
A increasingly popular policy is to allow staff to take a ‘wellbeing hour’ once a week to do something non-work related, whether that’s a gym or yoga session, a walk, or whatever activity that helps them relax. A similar policy is to permit the taking of one break for 15-to-20 minutes each day.
If you have the room, creating a dedicated space for your employees to relax and recharge during their breaks at work is a simple and cheap perk. Not only will they get a deserved break from their desks, but break rooms provide a space for your employees to socialise with their colleagues.
Facilitate flexible working
Many assume that flexible working refers to remote working, but it can extend to a variety of working practices, including flexible start and finish times (often termed flexitime), job sharing, part-time working, compressed or staggered hours, and even career breaks. With a change in our working lives, childcare and career demands, well-managed flexible working policy can provide huge and effective boost to employee wellbeing.
Develop a remote working policy
While it’s just one example of flexible working, it’s well known that employers’ attitudes to remote working vary a great deal, often leading to confusion among employees as to their entitlements. This means that developing a remote working policy that outlines as clearly as possible what the company permits in terms of working from home will help avoid problems and manage expectations.
Provide access to EAP and mental health supports
Establishing an EAP (employee assistance programme), a structured way of providing an outlet for workers to discuss any personal problems or mental health concerns they may have. This could extend to providing access to external mental health supports like counselling services.
Physical wellbeing
Supporting physical wellbeing in the workplace remains important, too, which could involve the temperature in the office, the ergonomics of their chair or their activity level, but also things like offering healthy food options, providing gym membership perks, set wellness challenges or promoting your cycle to work scheme.
Provide professional development opportunities
Offering continuous learning opportunities can help employees grow professionally, increasing their engagement and commitment to the company.
Useful employee wellbeing resources
Healthy Workplace Framework
There is guidance in the form of the Irish Government’s Healthy Workplace Framework, which aims to encourage employers to beef up workplace policies and programmes aimed at enhancing the health of workers. Launched initially in 2021, it aligns with other government strategies on issues like reducing injuries and ill-health, promoting active travel and positive mental health.
Part of the framework is a 12-18 month-long Healthy Workplaces scheme where a small number of firms selected from an open application and evaluation process are put through a programme of activity to help them get started on their wellbeing journey. Although the 2025-2026 programme have now closed to applications, keep a lookout at the healthyworkplace.ie website for future iterations.
In the meantime, Healthy Ireland, the organisation that oversees the framework, told ThinkBusiness.ie that a resource pack developed specifically for SMEs will be released early in 2025.
IBEC KeepWell mark
If your firm is a member of IBEC, you could consider applying for its KeepWell mark, an evidence-based workplace wellbeing accreditation. The programme, first launched in 2017, supports employers in embedding the highest standard of good workplace health, wellbeing and safety practices.
There are eight pillars of workplace wellbeing in the programme ranging from leadership, mental health, inclusion and belonging to nutrition and physical activity.
If you achieve the standard required, it’s valid for two years and you’ll be listed on the organisation’s website as an ‘employer of choice’, which would be a boost to your employer brand – both internally and externally.
If you’re not a member, you can still avail of the free resources and ideas that IBEC makes available on annual National Workplace Wellbeing Day (which takes place in 2025 around late April/early May).
Training on workplace mental health challenges
If you need training, the charity Mental Health Ireland offers three different workplace workshop sessions – one of them aimed at managers – that help guide and equip employers and employees in understanding and managing mental health challenges at work.
Main image at top: Photo by Andreas Klassen on Unsplash
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