Insights

Supporting employee wellness at work

Supporting employee wellness is essential to maintaining a healthy work environment and a well-resourced team.

Today’s employees face a range of pressures. Just as the challenges posed by Covid and lockdowns have eased, new challenges in the form of inflation and the cost of living crisis have taken their place. This increased load, coupled with isolation concerns for hybrid and remote workers and the age-old struggle for work-life balance, can quickly lead to burnout if employees are not adequately supported.

Microsoft has coined the term ‘productivity paranoia’ to reflect the disconnect between employees and management working remotely. While employees report increased meetings and longer working hours, hybrid bosses report feeling less confident in their team's productivity. So it’s no surprise that a recent Mercer study found that 81% of workers feel burned out, a jump from 63% in 2019. Of course, this is concerning on an individual level, but it also has a real business impact. For example, Gallup reports that burned-out employees are 63% more likely to take a sick day and 2.6 times as likely to seek a different job.

The support business can offer their employees can play out in various ways, from free access to independent advice to facilities in the workplace and benefits that support physical health. However, it’s important not to overlook less tangible support that can be just as important. This includes support for flexible working options, showing appreciation for a job well-done, and clearly communicating priorities and expectations to reduce stress levels.

81% of employees agree it’s important that their managers help them prioritise their workload, but only 31% say their managers provide clear guidance, per Microsoft’s research.

Implementing a wellness program has multiple benefits for businesses, including reductions in absence levels and improvements in productivity and the ability to attract and retain talent. 

Here at TIG, we promote both hybrid and fully remote working, so we’ve developed robust policies and ways of working to address the psychological pressures associated with being continually online and demonstrate our commitment to supporting our people.

Support for flexible working

We have both fully remote team members and those that work on a hybrid basis. We trust our employees to flex their working hours to cover personal appointments and errands.

Strong internal support network

The lack of physical presence and social interaction in an office environment can result in feelings of loneliness and isolation. We never want our team to feel as though they have no one to turn to when stressed or anxious, so we actively foster community across our organisation. We always ensure those working remotely feel part of this through regular informal catch-ups and weekly virtual coffee mornings where no shop talk is allowed.

Access to independent support

Every TIG employee has access to an accredited counsellor with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy and a life coach who specialises in stress management, resilience and work-life balance. Employees can use these services with the confidence that it’s completely confidential, and all the business will see is an anonymised invoice.

Supporting downtime

We’re keenly aware of the temptation to work longer hours, but we know this doesn’t support productivity long-term and can cause a disconnect between home and office life. So our team members are encouraged to set a reasonable timeframe to shut off that working brain and take advantage of the time outside of work to relax and recharge. One of the practical ways we support this is through an early finish on a Friday.

Explore this topic further with the our guide to workplace well-being.