The Importance of wellbeing in your workplace
With the planned launch of our new website, I began to think of ways in which we could demonstrate what a great place IvyJack is to work for. As part of our website being a shop window for potential clients, we also wanted it to resonate with talented creatives who are looking to join us whenever we recruit next. With so many websites having accreditations displayed, I thought maybe this is the way forward. So, I began to explore various certifications and whilst investigating numerous accreditation processes, the topic of wellbeing in the workplace came up repeatedly and it got me to thinking.
The statistics around poor mental health make sobering reading and the impact poor mental health has on the workplace is a compelling argument for employers to take wellbeing seriously. Insights from Great Place to Work’s Trust Index survey shows that the organisations participating stated that the single most important people/HR issue was health and wellbeing. Deloitte published research in 2022 that stated poor mental health is costing UK employers up to £56 billion a year, which is a 25% increase on the same research carried out in 2019. A staggering 61% of those surveyed said they left their job in 2021 or planned to leave in 2022 due to poor mental health. Champion Health’s Workplace Health Report 2023 identified the top 11 causes of stress at work, with stress being a major factor in poor mental health. These include: workload, lack of control, lack of support, senior staff members, peers, job security and insufficient training.
The more I read about setting up frameworks and seeking accreditation, the more I realised we were already doing things to help improve the team’s wellbeing. When I shared a recent presentation, I was surprised by how well it was received amongst our team and how the subject matter resonated with everyone in one way or another. So much so in fact that the Directors agreed on the spot to creating a framework to embed a culture of wellbeing at IvyJack. Just two weeks later and in time for national Mental Health Awareness Week (15 to 21 May) they also provided a comprehensive Employee Assistance programme (EAP) as the first step to meeting this pledge. It has a wealth of resources and multiple different ways of accessing them and it has been welcomed by everyone in the team. We are now on a tangible journey and it feels exciting. Any accreditation…well that would just be a bonus now.
