‘Wellness’ is a booming industry. Even before the Covid-19 pandemic struck there was much talk about how to look after the physical and mental health of employees. So-called ‘corporate wellness culture’ might once have had an air of lip service to it, but since public health has taken centre-stage, it’s now looking more pressing.
What is corporate wellness?
The whole idea behind corporate workplace wellness is that companies have a responsibility to help their employees get and stay healthy. This usually means both their physical and mental health needs to be taken into consideration. While some layout changes in office designs as they adapt to the Covid-19 pandemic are preventative measures, wellness takes a much more holistic approach.
Isn’t this just old-fashioned health and safety?
Not really, corporate wellness is more proactive. It’s not just about ensuring the worst doesn’t happen, although that’s important, it’s looking at how the collective health of the organisation can contribute to helping individuals.
By working to help people achieve better physical health and mental well-being, companies can aid staff retention, have fewer absences and increase productivity.
What does workplace wellbeing look like?
While this may all sound good in theory, how do you implement a wellbeing program into your workplace? Are there any other factors that you need to consider?
While giving employees access to a workplace gym, organising walks, yoga classes and other activities can all be useful, good workplace wellbeing practice at work does in fact begin with the building itself.
Increasingly, buildings are being designed with wellness in mind. The Global Wellness Institute defines Wellness Architecture as:
“the practice of architecture that relies on the art and science of designing built environments with socially conscious systems and materials to promote the harmonious balance between physical, emotional, cognitive and spiritual wellbeing while regenerating the natural environment.”
This means that buildings are designed to not only minimise health hazards but also take account of behavioural science that encourages behaviour and practices that help people become healthier. An important part of this is sustainability. A sustainable and healthy environment is seen as underpinning good health and wellbeing for communities as a whole.
What does it mean in terms of office design and layout?
When it comes to the internal layout of an office interior it may include the need for privacy, plenty of plants and greenery incorporated into a workspace as well as ergonomic chairs and desks. It may also include spaces for exercise such as office gyms and yoga and mindfulness rooms.
Taken with the broader changes that are now taking place into work/life expectations post-pandemic, the future of work and our workplaces looks very different to what it was twenty, even ten, years ago. Companies that offer their employees a healthy and attractive place to work, as well as flexibility in how and when they work, are likely to attract and retain the best candidates.
Building wellness back into the workplace, especially now, has never been more important. For advice on how to achieve this, please speak to the expert team at Flow today. We are also pleased to recommend ‘Wellbeing In Your Office’.
Visit their website for more details: https://wellbeinginyouroffice.com/.