Wellbeing & your business

Many of us start the new year with good intentions, but halfway through January, you may be fi nding it difficult to stay motivated. The UK’s search habits show that motivation isn’t just a January problem, either. Over the last year, those struggling have turned to Google:

• ‘Feeling demotivated at work’ – searches increased by 67%

• ‘Motivational factors for employees’ – searches increased by 25%

• ‘Lost motivation at work’ – searches increased by 21%.

SME owners know that every employee is important to business success. After spending time recruiting the perfect talent to help your business grow, knowing the best ways to keep your team happy and feeling motivated can help take you to the next level.

As small businesses have compact teams, a lack of motivation can be especially detrimental. How we feel when we’re at work makes a huge difference to our quality of output and achieving business goals.

If employees are doing too much, it can lead to burnout. If employees are doing too little, they have bore-out. Both ends of the spectrum can affect motivation and lead to staff absences, which can further damage your business output.

HOW WELLBEING, RESILIENCE AND MOTIVATION ARE CONNECTED

Each of your employees will have their own individual tolerance for coping with stress. How resilient we are affects how well we are able to tackle demanding situations. For example, a person with lower resilience levels may fi nd a stressful work task negatively impacts their wellbeing more, compared to a person with higher resilience.

When we’re faced with a tricky work situation, someone with lower resilience levels may feel intimidated tackling similar future situations. However, individual tolerance for stress isn’t fi xed. Developing your resilience can help you to adjust to and recover from pressured situations more effectively.

Resilience and wellbeing go hand in hand. From looking after the basics of your physical health to making proper time to relax and unwind, the principles of developing resilience levels will naturally improve overall wellbeing too.

Wellbeing services are a great way to show your team that you appreciate them and their contributions while reinforcing the importance of taking care of both body and mind. When your team invests this time in themselves, it can lead to healthier habits and reduce overall staff absences. What’s more, wellbeing services also serve as a perk to working for your company – which can both help to retain and recruit the best talent.

The latest Bupa Wellbeing Index – a landmark survey conducted amongst 8,000 UK adults – found that health insurance ranked in the top three most sought-after benefits for a third (39%) of employees. This was behind only flexible working (53%) and a company pension scheme (46%).

As the war for talent continues, benefits play a significant role in staff attraction and retention. More than two-fifths of employees (42%) said they would be more likely to stay in their current role if it offered good health and wellbeing benefits, while 28% say they would feel more valued if their employer offered more benefits to ease their cost of living. Almost a fifth (19%) said that health insurance through work is a priority benefit for them as a result of financial pressures.

The Bupa Wellbeing Index data also shows employees are making good use of their health insurance; 42% of those with health and wellbeing benefits have used them in the last 12 months.

Examples Of Health And Wellbeing Services For Businesses

There are a number of companies out there offering bespoke plans. Bupa, for example, offers health insurance that can include wellbeing services. Other examples of how businesses can also invest in their employees' health include gym membership, on-site yoga classes, a visiting masseuse and access to tasty, healthy food.

Mental health should not be overlooked and feedback suggest that mindfulness sessions as well as workshops relating to stress management are effective in helping people build resilience.

www.bupa.co.uk