Productivity is something that every business strives for. In fact, as humans we aim to be productive with everything that we do. Productivity measures the efficiency at which things are done, and no one likes to waste their time or effort
Here we discuss hidden ways staff wellbeing can increase workplace productivity.
What do we mean by wellbeing?
The literal definition of wellbeing is the state of feeling healthy and happy. However, when we refer to mental wellbeing, it is not so simple.
The mental health charity Mind makes the distinction that “good mental wellbeing doesn’t mean you’re always happy or unaffected by your experience”, but we use it to talk about “how well we’re coping with daily life”.
Staff wellbeing, therefore, is a focus on how our employees are coping with the stresses of the workplace and what they are bringing with them from home. Good staff wellbeing it found to correlate to increased workplace productivity.
What is workplace productivity?
When we talk about productivity in the workplace, what we are largely referring to is how much work has been done in one environment, over a set period of time. More simply, productivity is the efficiency of production.
A business is usually aiming to maximise productivity, as this means less wastage of time, money and product, making the workday more efficient.
In other words, workplace productivity is how effective everyone is at their jobs, judged both as individuals and a workplace as a whole. In reality there are many factors that can affect a workplace’s productivity and how well someone is able to perform at their job. One of these factors is staff wellbeing.
How does staff wellbeing affect workplace productivity?
It has been suggested over various studies that supporting staff wellbeing can increase workplace productivity. This is because a workforce who feels more valued and supported is more likely to work harder.
This is because a supportive environment can allow staff to bond with one another. Team building encourages employees to get to know one another, which will help them to communicate with one another and therefore work together more efficiently.
Another way that this helps is that gives staff a safe place to be able to talk about things that might be going on outside of the office that they are bringing in with them. Stress at home over children or finances can have a detrimental impact on your focus during the working day.
To support staff wellbeing there are some wellbeing options that can be considered. For example, LifeWorks provides an employee health and wellbeing service in the form of an Employee Assistance Programme, or EAP.
This can be downloaded as an app and used 24/7, making employee mental health a priority. For more information, visit https://www.lifeworks.com/uk/ .
Staff wellbeing should be an employer’s number one priority, not only because it increases productivity, but also because mental health is extremely important. Whatever happens, just remember that we are all in this together.
